Mailbag, 2/11: Potential free agent targets, more

It is a dreary February weekend, the first one in a long time without any football. If we can’t watch football, though, we can still talk about it. With that in mind, let’s open up the mailbag and see what New York Giants fans are wondering about.

Ed says: I’m not sure what the deepest position is, to be honest. I would like to see the Giants come out of free agency with some sort of help for their offensive line. There has been lots of talk about veteran left tackle Andrew Whitworth being a potential target. He might stay with the Cincinnati Bengals, and we’ll see what his price tag is if he hits the market. Watch for Baltimore Ravens right tackle Ricky Wagner to be a target of the Giants. I would also like to see the Giants look for a big-bodied wide receiver in free agency. Alshon Jeffery tops that list, but he is probably way too expensive. Brian Quick [profile] and Kenny Britt [profile] are others.

We are running a series of free agent profiles and will continue to add names right up until free agency begins next month. Be sure to check that out.

Ed says: I don’t know about the pistol. I do know the Giants need to diversity on offense. The two Super Bowl teams, the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons, provided great examples of teams who can attack defenses more than one way. Now, I’m not saying the Giants’ personnel was as good as what those two teams had, because it wasn’t. The Giants, though, ran an incredibly simplistic, predictable offense in 2016. They have to diversify. They need more play-makers and some improvements at the tackle spots to do it, but it has to happen.

Ed says: First and foremost, I think it’s critical for the Giants to re-sign the one they had in 2016. Keenan Robinson was their best cover linebacker, and the best one they have had in a long time in that regard. He is a free agent, and a guy I believe the Giants should prioritize bringing back. After that, I don’t think the Giants can spend money on the position. If they can find a linebacker they like in the draft, that would be good.

Ed says: I have my doubts. Let’s suppose the Giants release Victor Cruz and Rashad Jennings, then re-structure the contract of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to drop his cap number from more than $8 million to around $4 million. That gives them about $33 million to spend not including the rookie pool. Honestly, I don’t see any way the Giants meet all the items on your wish list in free agency.

Ed says: I think what happens with Hart is yet to be determined. GM Jerry Reese said when the Giants drafted him that they thought he was a guard at the NFL level, and he has only played tackle out of necessity. He gave up 46 pressures in 13 games and was ranked 67th out of 78 qualifying tackles by Pro Football Focus. He doesn’t look like the long-term answer at right tackle, but we still don’t know what pieces the Giants will be able to add in free agency or the draft. I have said a number of times that the Giants have three spots to figure out — left tackle, right tackle, right guard. We won’t really know how they plan to to that until we see who they are able to bring in.