The New York Giants have not made the playoffs since winning the Super Bowl during the 2011 regular season. Head coach Tom Coughlin has stepped down after 12 seasons, and newly appointed head coach Ben McAdoo will look to lead the Giants back to the postseason in 2016. McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese have plenty of work to do to turn the Giants around, and have cleared more than $60 million in cap space after releasing offensive linemen Geoff Schwartz and Will Beatty, and linebacker Jon Beason.
New York finished the 2015 regular season with a 6-10 record for the second straight year, and its defense was the worst in the league in terms of yards allowed per game. Clearly the defensive side of the ball is where it will need the most help, and with players like defensive ends Robert Ayers, Jason Pierre-Paul, and cornerback Prince Amukamara scheduled to become free agents, the Giants' front office has plenty of holes to fill.
New York's defense struggled creating any sort of pass rush during the 2015 season, as it finished 30th in the league with just 23 total team sacks. Re-signing Ayers and Amukarma will likely be priorities for Reese and the front office, but only if the Giants are able to re-sign them at the right price. Pierre-Paul proved to still be a force in the league creating pressure, but there is no doubt that the cast around his hand hindered him from making key sacks and tackles for loss. The Giants should let Pierre-Paul test the open market and only re-sign him if his contract allows them to add other pass rushers.
The Giants should look to bolster their pass rush through free agency, and players like the Broncos' Malik Jackson, Maimi' Olivier Vernon, and possibly veteran Dwight Freeney could all be potential targets this offseason. Super Bowl champion linebacker Danny Trevathan is expected to be one of the top free agents this offseason if he hits the market in March, and the Giants could look to target him, as their defense is in need of a leader at the linebacker position.
The Giants will look to pursue some of the top pass rushers in free agency this offseason, and while there is no guarantee they will land an elite pass rusher at least they will have to the opportunity to make a pitch given their cap space. Reese is currently safe as the New York general manager, but if he doesn't lure some top talent to New York, don't be surprised if people start calling for his job.
While the Giants front office will try to lure free agents to New York, they will also be scrutinizing every potential draft pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. They have the 10th pick in the draft, and once again defense will be key. Four players that the Giants could look to target in the draft are Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland, Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith, Oregon defensive end DeForest Buckner, and UCLA linebacker Myles Jack. Any of the four prospects mentioned will help take the New York defense to another level, but both Smith and Jack are coming off injuries.
The Giants should use more than half their draft picks on the defensive side of the ball, but they are lacking talent at all three phases. Their offense was the sixth-highest scoring offense in the NFL last season, and while their numbers were strong, they still need to make improvements to key positions this offseason.
Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz has said that he is willing to rework his contract, and that will be a key factor in his return next season, as New Yokr will likely not want to keep him under his current contract. Another Giants wide receiver, Rueben Randle, is expected to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and while he produced on the field this past season, the Giants should let him walk. Randle will likely demand a large contract, but his lack of effort on certain plays hurt the offense in multiple instances this past season.
With the Giants losing offensive linemen and likely at least one wide receiver this offseason, Reese and the front office will look to fill those positions. They may look to use a second or third round draft pick to acquire another offensive lineman or wide receiver, and will likely go after one or two free agent linemen this offseason. As for weapons, New York should look to target wide receivers that it can sign at a bargain price, and look to use its cap space on a pass-catching tight end that will have an instant impact for the offense.
Eli Manning is coming off a career season, as he had 4,436 passing yards with 35 touchdowns to 14 interceptions. The Giants franchise quarterback threw 828 of those yards and five touchdowns to five different tight ends. There will be some veteran tight ends on the market this offseason, but both Colts tight ends Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen become unrestricted free agents.
Indianapolis is expected to re-sign one of their young tight ends, but the Giants could try and make an offer to the other, giving Manning a legitimate starting tight end. Manning has played with multiple tight ends throughout his career with players like Jeremy Shockey, Kevin Boss, Jake Ballard and Martellus Bennett. Outside of Bennett and Shockey, Giants fans have waited to see Manning play with a top-tier tight end, and this offseason could be the chance for Reese to make a move on the position.
The Giants clearly have plenty of holes that need to be filled this offseason both through the draft and free agency, and while acquiring weapons for Manning is a need, fixing their defense - especially their pass rush - is the top priority if the Giants want to return to the postseason.
