Eugene Monroe

Former Ravens tackle Eugene Monroe is a free agent option for the Giants.

(Patrick Semansky | AP Photo)

Before the Giants ever took the field for a training camp practice last summer they made a move to bolster the competition and roster. Wide receiver James Jones was added to the mix.

"That'll create some competition," general manager Jerry Reese said at the time. "There's the three, four, five spots at the receiver position."

Not much has changed even if the pages on the calendar have turned and Jones is long gone. The Giants have Odell Beckham Jr. and several other question marks at wide receiver, beginning with the uncertainty of Victor Cruz, who remains an unknown as he attempts to return following consecutive serious injuries.

If the Giants signed a veteran wide receiver before the start of training camp, barely anybody would blink. There remains room for competition at the position, even if Sterling Shepard was selected in the second round of this year's draft to take the spot of former second-round pick Rueben Randle. Even if Dwayne Harris has solidified his standing as a capable receiver and Geremy Davis flashed potential this spring.

But wide receiver isn't the only position group in a similar spot. Offensive line, cornerback and defensive line could use veteran reinforcements. Will it happen?

Offensive Line

This is the position most likely to add a player who may contribute before the season starts. The Giants still have interest in former Ravens left tackle Eugene Monroe after an offseason where they tried to find a potential replacement for right tackle Marshall Newhouse, but came up empty. The problem is similar to what they ran into with Russell Okung, Donald Penn and even current Jet Ryan Clady.

Monroe would prefer to play left tackle. The Giants aren't willing to offer that position. They're strongly intent on keeping last year's first-round pick Ereck Flowers on the left side. The question now is whether Monroe can get an offer elsewhere to play somewhere on the left side. If so, he's not a Giants option.

Monroe's currently assessing his options, while the Giants wait on a decision. They're not about to break the bank for a 29-year-old tackle who has struggled with injuries in recent years.

If Monroe doesn't happen, the Giants could look again at Jake Long, although his signing would be unlikely. There were questions about his desire last year and it's uncertain whether he would even be an upgrade over Newhouse at this point of his career.

The only other potential starting option is with ex-Giant Will Beatty. But the bridge with Beatty (released earlier this offseason) is pretty much burned. Beatty would only return if he had no other options, and the Giants appear to be turned off by what they perceived as a lack of desire.

Cornerback

As Reese said earlier this offseason, cornerback is a position where you can never have enough bodies. Behind their top three (Janoris Jenkins, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Eli Apple) the Giants are rather thin. They wouldn't mind adding a body, particularly in the slot. That's whey they looked at Jerraud Powers and Leon Hall this spring. Powers signed with the Ravens, while Hall is likely to land with the Cardinals or re-sign with the Bengals. It's highly unlikely he'll sign with the Giants.

The remaining cornerbacks on the market aren't all that impressive. Chris Culliver, Tarell Brown, Charles Tillman, Trumaine McBride, Cary Williams, Antonio Cromartie and Jayron Hosley are some of the available options. Still, don't be surprised to see the Giants bring in a veteran at the last minute this summer. At the very least, they can use training camp bodies.

Wide Receiver

The Giants used the spring to assess their wide receiving corps and came away impressed. Shepard appears to be an instant-impact player and all is going well with Cruz's rehab. There also appears to be some youngsters (led by Darius Powe and Roger Lewis) that have potential.

Adding a veteran such as Anquan Boldin, Andre Johnson, Roddy White or James Jones might not be the move this time around, unless Cruz or one of the younger receivers suffer some sort of setback. Last year it was an injury to Ben Edwards that opened the roster spot for Jones. It appears right now the Giants would rather roll with Harris, Davis and their undrafted free agents ahead of the aging veterans on the market.

Defensive Line

The Giants have some bodies at defensive tackle, even behind starters Damon Harrison and Johnathan Hankins. Jay Bromley, Montari Hughes, Louis Nix and several undrafted free agents provide them options.

It's on the edge where the Giants are rather thin. What's available are the likes of Dwight Freeney, Darryl Tapp, LaMarr Woodley, George Selvie and Kroy Biermann. All are experienced veterans. While signing Freeney is unlikely, the Giants may still bring in a veteran as insurance, especially with Owa Odighizuwa's injury history and the uncertainty surrounding Jason Pierre-Paul.

Jordan Raanan may be reached at jraanan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JordanRaanan. Find NJ.com Giants on Facebook.