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Brandon Boykin, Zach Mettenberger released -- Should the Giants be interested?

Should the Giants be interested in adding either of the new free agents?

By Chris Pflum
Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

There might not be football, but the offseason is still full of surprises. Even after the flurry of activity that marks the start of free agency, and all the games surrounding the draft, teams are active. They sign rookies and tryout players while cutting veterans to make room as they try to assemble the best 90-man roster they can. It can lead to some surprising names hitting the free agent market.

Monday was just such a day as the Carolina Panthers announced that they released cornerback Brandon Boykin and the Tennessee Titans cut quarterback Zach Mettenberger.

The question at hand is now whether the Giants should be interested in either of the new free agents. The Giants were excited enough to sign Liberty Flames quarterback Josh Woodrum to offer him a $20,000 signing bonus -- rare for an undrafted free agent. But they surprisingly waived him to make room for veteran quarterback B.J. Daniels. If the Giants want to bring more competition into battle for backup quarterback -- or are possibly looking at moving Ryan Nassib in a trade if they don't think they will be able to retain him in free agency next year -- they could bring Mettenberger in.

At the very least Mettenberger, who admittedly wasn't very good in his time with a Titans squad that was lacking offensive talent, is familiar with Odell Beckham, who was a teammate at LSU. He should also be familiar with wide receivers coach Adam Henry, who was on the coaching staff at LSU. Mettenberger also has a "live arm," capable of some impressive deep throws and could help keep wear and tear off of Eli Manning's arm through the offseason.

The real question is with Boykin.

The former fourth-round pick was known as one of the top slot corners in the NFL before being traded from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Pittsburgh Steelers last offseason. He lasted only one season in Pittsburgh, and was signed to a one-year deal by the Carolina Panthers on March 28th of this year.

At this point we don't know why Boykin was cut by the Panthers. There could have been a personality conflict, the Panthers ultimately decided that they wanted to go in another direction schematically and Boykin didn't fit, or there is something more ominous that hasn't made it into the media yet, which the Panthers wanted to get ahead of.

Unless there is something disqualifying -- such as a suspension, injury, or immanent legal troubles -- Boykin would make sense for the Giants to sign given how they have conducted their offseason thus far. He is young at 25 years old, has proven productive with a pass defensed or interception every 6 targets since 2013 [LINK], and has been relatively healthy. The Giants have been looking for a veteran slot corner, and Boykin very well could fit that bill.

Both of these free agents should also serve as a reminder that the offseason is not yet done, and rosters are by no means set. While the Giants still have holes, we don't know what moves the other 31 teams will make between now and tomorrow, let alone minicamp, training camp, or Week 1.

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