The NY Giants have a number of needs coming into free agency this offseason and names like Julian Edelman, Eric Decker, James Jones, Golden Tate, Kenny Britt, Brandon Pettigrew and Andrew Quarless fit into what the team likes to do at wide receiver and tight end and with Ben McAdoo coming in, those names could be targets if Hakeem Nicks leaves as a free agent.
Nicks appears ready to go after two frustrating seasons and while he was a key part of the Super Bowl championship in 2011, over the past couple years he has been injured and now he hits the market after making zero touchdowns last season. According to ESPN.com, Nicks has already mentioned a number of teams that could be in the mix for him, including the San Diego Chargers, Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers, who play in his home state.
ESPN has also reported that the Panthers are looking to shop Steve Smith in a trade and if not they will cut him and that would open up an opportunity for Nicks to take over as the number one receiver. Smith would be an option for a number of teams around the league if he is released, but at his age it could be tough to get in over other veterans like Golden Tate and Sidney Rice. Smith is coming off a 64 catch season with 745 yards and that was comparable to Nicks and that is one reason the Giants is allowing him to hit the market.
The Giants have a number of free agents in Andre Brown, Justin Tuck, Linval Joseph and Jon Beason along with Nicks and it's likely the linebacker is the only one to return. The Giants could be big spenders though, as they saved a chunk of money with a contract restructure for Chris Snee and the release of David Baas and now they could go after a number of names on the market, including Julian Edelman, Eric Decker, James Jones, Golden Tate, Kenny Britt, Brandon Pettigrew and centers in Evan Dietrich-Smith and Brian De La Puente. Jerry Reese will be busy.
