New York Giants Free Agency 2023
The 2022 season saw the New York Giants in the playoffs after a 9-7-1 record. The Giants beat the Vikings in the Wild Card round before an embarrassing 38-7 playoff loss in the Divisional Round to the Philadelphia Eagles. Massive decisions loom this offseason for general manager Joe Schoen. Here’s what you need to know about the New York Giants free agency situation for 2023.
New York Giants 2023 NFL Free Agents Overview
The focus will be on quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley. Jones had his best NFL season under first-year head coach Brian Daboll with 22 total touchdowns. He threw just five interceptions on the year.
Barkley had his best season since his rookie year rushing for over 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was able to stay healthy and play in 16 games this past season. Barkley averaged 82 yards per game which was the highest mark of his career.
The Giants could consider the franchise tag for Barkley. Regardless, decisions on Jones and Barkley will drive the rest of the potential free-agent acquisitions.
2023 free agents from the Giants also include cornerback Fabian Moreau, safety Julian Love, offensive lineman Nick Gates, and defensive end Jihad Ward. Moreau had 66 tackles and 10 pass deflections in 14 games. Love had a great season with 124 tackles and two interceptions.
Unrestricted New York Giants Free Agents
To be an unrestricted free agent, there are a couple of qualifications. An NFL player must have four or more years of experience and their contract has to have expired or been voided. They can negotiate with any team without any restrictions or draft-choice compensation. Here’s a list of impending free agents for the Giants who are unrestricted.
Quarterbacks
Daniel Jones – QB
Running Backs
Saquon Barkley – RB
Matt Breida – RB
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
Sterling Shepard – WR
Richie James – WR
Marcus Johnson – WR
Darius Slayton – WR
Centers, Guards, and Tackles
Nick Gates – G
Jon Feliciano – C
Defensive Tackles, Defensive Ends, and Edge Rushers
Justin Ellis – DT
Nick Williams – DT
Jihad Ward – DE
Linebackers
Oshane Ximines – OLB
Cornerbacks and Safeties
Fabian Moreau – CB
Tony Jefferson – SS
Julian Love – FS
Special Teams
Jamie Gillan – P
Casey Kreiter – LS
Restricted Free Agents
A restricted free agent is a player who has played for three or fewer accrued seasons and has an expiring contract. The team can assign a tender to the player, which allows them to match any offer the player receives from other teams. The team receives draft compensation if the player signs elsewhere.
2023 NFL restricted free agents or exclusive rights free agents for the Giants:
None.
Salary Cap and Roster
The team will have plenty of salary cap space to work with during the 2023 NFL offseason. The salary cap is $224.8 million and the Giants have room to make moves. The focus will be figuring out what to do with Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley. Jones had his best season since being taken number six overall in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Leonard Williams has the biggest cap hit for the team at $32.3 million. For now, Kenny Golladay counts as a $21.4 million cap hit, but the NY Giants will release him on the first day of the new league year. He had a disappointing 2022 season.
Giants general manager Joe Schoen likely has more tricks up his sleeve as the Giants could make some noise with a few free-agent signings.
Giants Free Agency 2023 FAQs
NFL free agency will commence on March 15, 2023. It begins at 4 p.m. eastern time. The date signifies the start of the new league year and the end of all player contracts. Many players are set to hit the market and gain free agency status.
An unrestricted free agent is a player whose contract has expired, and they have no ties to their former team. Starting on March 15, they are free to negotiate with any team in the league without restrictions.
A restricted free agent can be extended what is called a qualifying offer. If offered, they are still allowed to negotiate with other teams around the league. Their current team is allowed to match any offer.
There is a “legal tampering” period that begins on March 13. Teams can talk to certified agents but no signings can be made until free agency is official.
