The NY Giants are coming into the 2015 season looking to get back to the playoffs and Jerry Reese may look at making some major moves to get that done, as Ndamukong Suh, Bryan Bulaga, Shane Vereen, CJ Spiller or Mark Ingram could be free agent targets, while names like Mathias Kiwanuka and Jon Beason could be cut if Jason Pierre-Paul returns.
The Giants missed the playoffs for the third straight year since winning the Super Bowl, but ownership opted to stick with head coach Tom Coughlin. The only major change to the coaching staff was at defensive coordinator, as Steve Spagnuolo will be back to take over after the team parted ways with Perry Fewell. The team dealt with a ton of injuries last season and the defense was very inconsistent and now the team has to decide whether or not to keep Jason Pierre-Paul and a number of other significant free agents.
JPP is the biggest name hitting the market for the Giants and he will be an interesting situation to watch, as he could command some big money from teams in free agency. Pierre-Paul is just 26 years old and still has potential to get better and the Giants have said they are interested in keeping him. John Mara spoke about Pierre-Paul after the regular season ended and said that the Giants would not rule out using the franchise tag if the team can't work out a long term contract. Pierre-Paul is coming in after a strong season and he had a bounce back year after two seasons of injuries and inconsistent play. JPP had 12.5 sacks this season and now Reese has to decide if Pierre-Paul will be the same player next year and beyond.
The Giants have other names hitting the market, including Walter Thurmond, Mike Patterson and Antrel Rolle, who has expressed interested in returning. Rolle previously signed a five year deal, while Thurmond was on a one year deal and was injured for most of the season. Dan Graziano at ESPN.com took some questions on the Giants and mentioned that Patterson, Stevie Brown and Mark Herzlich are free agents that could return, while Rolle likely will have to take a pay cut if he comes back.
Graziano mentioned some names that the Giants could target, including Bryan Bulaga, Shane Vereen, CJ Spiller, Jerry Hughes and Mark Ingram. Ndamukong Suh has been mentioned in the past as a potential option, but he will cost too much money. The Giants could use some more depth on the offensive line and signing Bulaga could help put Justin Pugh in a less pressurized role. Hughes could be a cheaper replacement if JPP leaves, while Vereen or Spiller could be interesting pickups.
The Giants signed Rashad Jennings and drafted Andre Williams to join David Wilson in the backfield, but with Wilson retiring due to injuries, the offense lost a pass catching running back. Spiller or Vereen could easily fill that role and in Ben McAdoo's offense, a player who excels in the screen game could really thrive. The Giants went 6-10 this season and missed the playoffs, but they expect to be in the postseason next year.
