With new management in place and a difficult cap situation to handle, there is sure to be plenty of roster turnover for the Giants in the coming days. Two of the biggest names to watch are Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram, players whom the team have very different levels of interest in keeping. 
It was reported last week that the Giants are asking the former to take a significant pay cut as part of the team’s larger cost-cutting agenda. Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports, however, that the 29-year-old won’t accept the financial hit, at least to the degree the team has proposed (subscription required). His salary is currently set to be $8.5MM, but a drop all the way to the $1.1MM veteran minimum is therefore off the table.
Duggan adds that there is “mutual interest” for the former second-rounder to stay in New York, his only home in six seasons spent in the NFL. He reports that the parties “have been trying to find a middle ground” with regard to compensation so he can stay. When healthy, Shepard has been Daniel Jones‘ favorite target, but injury troubles (such as the torn Achilles he is currently rehabbing) have landed the wideout in this situation.
As for Engram, Duggan reiterates the notion that he is headed elsewhere in free agency. Whether teams view him as strictly a tight end, or as someone capable of lining up as a slot receiver will be key to how much his market develops. Duggan notes that he’s heard a wide range of possibilities for the 27-year-old in terms of the value of a new contract, from a short-term deal around $7MM or $8MM, to the longer, more valuable pacts signed by the likes of Jonnu Smith last year. Interestingly, he names the Bills as potentially being “a top suitor for Engram”.
With more work to be done to get under the cap, there are still plenty of moving parts for the Giants to handle. The situations with Shepard and Engram will go a long way to determining the rest of the team’s offseason, and in turn, their long-term roster re-tooling.
“from a short-term deal around $7MM or $8MM, to the longer, more valuable pacts signed by the likes of Jonnu Smith last year.”
If Engram gets anywhere near either of these deals, I will laugh. He’s not worth more than a one year deal at $3 million. He is terrible. In the last two seasons, he has *dropped* 10% of his targets. Can’t block, can’t stay healthy, dumb as toast.
As far as Engram goes, idk to be honest. He seems like the kind of guy that could revitalize his career in a no-bs, winning, but player friendly atmosphere like the 49ers, Bills, or Chiefs, but it is ultimately up to Engram himself.
I might go for a 1 yr 6mil prove it deal, but I’m not touching him for a long-term deal unless it is written where the team can get out of it after a year with very little to no dead money.
He just seems like a player that lacks focus at times, and that can severely cost a team with a drop in a crucial down or moment..At the same time, he is a potential mismatch, and he could thrive in a new atmosphere that gives him a fresh start, if he truly dedicates himself..
People have been talking about Engram being a potential mismatch since he came into the league. Five years later, he’s had maybe a handful of plays where that has actually worked out. Maybe someone will be dazzled by that potential and overspend for him, but he is not worth it. Every Giants fan I know hates this dude.
It feels as if Engram has some kind of potential that hasn’t been seen yet, but every time he plays he stops short of making you endorse that point of view. It doesn’t feel worth it to completely give up on him, but he hasn’t really shown anything for New York to continue believing that it would be worth it. Maybe a new team would help, but I don’t think that New York has much more to gain from retaining him.
It kind of feels like he’s treading water when I watch him. Those drops, especially in tough catch situations, have hurt his team over the years, and his lack of blocking is limiting in the red zone especially. Maybe he would do better in the slot somewhere, who knows.
I think Jets are very interested in Engram. They are desperate to add TE help!
The Jets will prefer to keep Braxton Berrios rather than sign Engram or Sterling “Boat Trip” Shepard.