NFL free agency begins on March 9. The Giants, who currently have approximately $31.5 million in salary cap space, figure to be players in free agency as they attempt to fill some of the holes on their roster. We’re going to take a position-by-position look at how the Giants will approach free agency. Next up is wide receiver.
Giants under contract
*Sterling Shepard: Signed through the 2019 season
*Dwayne Harris: Signed through the 2019 season
*Roger Lewis: Signed through the 2018 season
*Odell Beckham Jr.: Signed through the 2017 season
*Tavarres King: Signed through the 2017 season
*Darius Powe: Signed to futures contract for 2017 season
*Kevin Norwood: Signed to futures contract for 2017 season
Giants wide receiver overview
Giants free agents
*Ben Edwards (exclusive rights)
Position priority: Medium
The Giants need a wide receiver to replace Victor Cruz, but they could promote an in-house option.
Top free agents
*Alshon Jeffery (Bears), Terrelle Pryor (Browns), Pierre Garcon (Redskins), DeSean Jackson (Redskins), Kenny Britt (Rams)
Second-tier free agents
*Kenny Stills (Dolphins), Brandon LaFell (Bengals), Terrance Williams (Cowboys), Kamar Aiken (Ravens), Brian Quick (Rams)
Giants’ WR overview
Draft strategy
The Giants have invested in the wide receiver position in the draft recently, using a first-round pick (Odell Beckham in 2014) and two second-round picks (Sterling Shepard in 2016 and Rueben Randle in 2012) in the past five years. That may make the Giants less likely to use another early pick on a receiver. If the Giants use a late pick on a receiver they’ll likely target a prospect with size, such as Ohio State’s Noah Brown or Northern Illinois’ Kenny Golladay.
What to expect in the offseason
The Giants will be looking for an upgrade for Victor Cruz, who was cut earlier in the offseason to clear $7.5 million in cap space. It’s unclear if the Giants plan to put any of those savings into Cruz’s replacement.
If the Giants want to go cheap at wide receiver, they could let Tavarres King and Roger Lewis compete for the starting job. They also could draft a wide receiver to add another young, affordable option to the mix.
It’s hard to see an in-house promotion or a draft pick representing a significant upgrade, however. The Giants will likely add a veteran, although they don’t need to break the bank on one of the top free agents. A mid-tier free agent, like Brandon LaFell or Brian Quick, would add size to the receiving corps at a reasonable price.
Dan Duggan may be reached at dduggan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DDuggan21. Find our Giants coverage on Facebook.
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