Giants Meet With Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy; Team Conducts Three WR Visits
Facing a pivotal decision with their latest top-10 draft choice, the Giants are beginning the next phase of their intelligence-gathering process. It is that time of year; “30” visits are underway. And the Giants have two clear paths they could take.
The big-picture approach points to the team staying in the mix to trade up for a quarterback. On that note, the team began its face-to-face meetings last week. Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy visited the Giants, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer.
While it would bring a borderline-radical about-face for the Giants to move up for a passer a year after giving Daniel Jones a four-year, $160MM extension, the contract’s structure and the team’s managerial setup point to the scenario being live. The Giants can escape the Jones contract with barely $10MM in dead money — in the event of a post-June 1 release — next year, and while this regime paid Jones, it did not draft him. Rumblings about the Giants being interested in a passer have persisted this offseason, with McCarthy emerging as a potential target.
Yes, we are entering prime smokescreen season, but McCarthy’s stock has undeniably climbed since his low-octane but hyper-efficient Michigan season wrapped. The Vikings have been linked to the Michigan product, with Daniel Jeremiah’s latest NFL.com mock draft sending Minnesota to No. 4 for McCarthy, which would be that franchise’s first top-10 quarterback pick ever. The Giants, who have been around considerably longer, have made five such investments. In the common draft era (1967-present), New York has chosen three QBs in the top 10 — Phil Simms, Eli Manning, Jones — and faces a more action-packed market thanks to Minnesota’s recent trade with Houston.
Even prior to the Vikings acquiring a second first-round pick from the Texans, Jeremiah mentioned a “strong” expectation within the NFL points to four QBs going off the board in the top six. Seeing as the Giants hold the No. 6 pick, that rumor would stand to tie closely to the team’s interest in grabbing a Jones successor with this draft real estate. While GM Joe Schoen attended Caleb Williams‘ USC pro day Wednesday, the Bears are widely expected to begin the draft with the 2022 Heisman winner.
Maye has held his spot as a passer likely to land in the top three, with Jeremiah mocking Sam Howell‘s North Carolina successor to Washington at No. 2. More buzz has connected the Commanders to Jayden Daniels, with Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest ESPN mock keeping Maye on track for New England. The Patriots may have some internal doubts about the ex-Tar Heels starter, inviting intrigue about another team moving up in the event Daniels does go second overall. The Giants would stand to be one of the teams monitoring the Pats’ decision, as the Commanders will be unlikely to trade their No. 2 pick to a division rival when a QB investment is involved.
McCarthy has rocketed up into a likely top-10 investment, participating in the Combine while the draft’s top three passing prospects did not. While the recent national championship-winning QB would be a surprise top-six pick — based on where his stock appeared to be at season’s end — the likes of Carson Wentz, Baker Mayfield and Zach Wilson have brought late QB climbs near the top of the board in recent years. The Giants are certainly investigating Jim Harbaugh‘s final Wolverines starter.
If the dominoes do not fall the Giants’ way regarding a Jones successor, the team is doing work on that end as well. The team brought in Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze for visits earlier this month, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets.
Harrison has generated attention for his pre-draft plan — one not consisting of workouts at the Combine or his pro day, which was held today — but the Ohio State prospect is widely viewed as the best receiver available. Jeremiah and Kiper’s big boards list Harrison as the No. 2 overall prospect, but the former adds it is likely some teams will have Nabers positioned above the second-generation WR talent on draft boards. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler adds Nabers is viewed by some clubs as the draft’s top wideout.
Harrison, Nabers (LSU) and Odunze (Washington) are each mortal locks to be chosen early in the first round. Nabers posted a 1,000-yard season in 2022 but unlocked another level to his game last season, totaling 89 receptions for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns to help Daniels win the Heisman. Nabers’ speed has generated intrigue among teams, though the three-year LSU receiver did not run the 40-yard dash at the Combine.
The QB interest would benefit the Giants on the wideout front, as two of these players could be on the board if a trade-up into the top five occurs. The Giants used a third-round pick on Jalin Hyatt last year and have Darius Slayton and Wan’Dale Robinson under contract. But the team has struggled at this position for years, lacking a WR1-level talent since injuries started to impact Odell Beckham Jr. The Giants will have a chance at one of these impact receivers soon, but the QB matter will likely loom until draft night.
Giants To Re-Sign CB Darnay Holmes
Although Darnay Holmes‘ contract year featured a reduced role, the Giants still have him in their 2024 plans. The Giants are re-signing the veteran cornerback, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler.
Primarily operating as a slot corner during his rookie contract, Holmes accepted a rare rookie-deal pay cut going into last season and then saw the Giants turn to other options ahead of him in the slot. The former fourth-round pick still held a special teams role, and the Giants will keep him around for potential depth.
[RELATED: Giants To Meet With Tre’Davious White]
After working as the Giants’ primary slot corner in 2022 (572 snaps), Holmes ceded time to 2022 third-rounder Cor’Dale Flott last season. Holmes, 25, saw action on just 123 defensive snaps in his contract year. While Darius Slayton was able to bounce back from his rookie-deal pay cut, Holmes could not recapture his role. But the Giants still value him. And they face more questions at corner now.
The team is not expected to re-sign Adoree’ Jackson, who played out a three-year contract. Two years remain on Flott’s rookie contract, though the Giants’ plan of sliding Jackson into the slot and playing Tre Hawkins opposite Deonte Banks did not last long. Jackson returned to a boundary role following Hawkins’ benching.
Holmes, whom Pro Football Focus rated as one of the NFL’s worst CB regulars in 2022, may not be a front-burner option to hold a regular role again. The multiyear regular he will supply some depth as the Giants assemble another crew around Banks.
Tre’Davious White To Visit Giants, Titans
Tre’Davious White‘s itinerary is starting to look like a first-round prospect’s. After his Rams and Raiders meetings, the former Bills cornerback has booked two more visits.
The Giants and Titans have scheduled meetings with the former All-Pro, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. Both visits will take place this week. The Bills designated White a post-June 1 cut recently, wrapping a seven-year tenure that saw injuries impede the talented cover man while on his big-ticket extension.
Finding a connection between White and the Giants is not difficult. Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen were in Buffalo during most of White’s tenure there, with Schoen on board when the Bills extended the Pro Bowl corner in 2021. The Giants are in the market for a starter opposite Deonte Banks. While the team signed Jalen Mills, the team is viewing the versatile DB as a safety. That makes sense, considering the loss of Xavier McKinney, but the Giants also saw three-year CB starter Adoree’ Jackson become a free agent. Jackson is not expected back.
The Titans did add a key option early in free agency, agreeing to terms with Chidobe Awuzie. But the team lost Sean Murphy-Bunting to the Cardinals as well; Kristian Fulton remains unsigned. The Titans have seen injuries play a key role in their cornerback equation — among other areas on the roster — with Fulton and former first-rounder Caleb Farley running into regular trouble on that front. The team still has 2022 second-rounder Roger McCreary on his rookie contract, but it is still looking for pieces here.
White suffered a torn ACL on Thanksgiving 2021; it took him a full year to return. White was ready to go for the 2023 season, but an Achilles tear in Week 4 became part of another injury-laden Buffalo defense. The Bills had White in place as their No. 1 corner for several years, seeing him land All-Pro honors in 2019 and 2020. They were largely forced to play without the 2017 first-rounder over the past three seasons, and with cap trouble surfacing, the perennial AFC East champs moved on as a secondary overhaul is taking place.
White, 29, has generated extensive interest and figures to land a second opportunity soon. The deal may need to be incentive-laden, with injuries coming to define White in recent years.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/15/24
Friday’s minor transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DT Khyiris Tonga
Chicago Bears
- Released: OL Roy Mbaeteka
Cincinnati Bengals
- Re-signed: WR Trenton Irwin
Detroit Lions
- Re-signed: LS Scott Daly, CB Khalil Dorsey
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: T Caleb Jones
Houston Texans
- Re-signed: T Charlie Heck
- Released: WR Jesse Matthews (failed physical)
Los Angeles Rams
- Re-signed: LB Christian Rozeboom
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: TE Joe Fortson
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: G Dan Feeney
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: WR Stanley Morgan
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Chris Manhertz, TE Jack Stoll
Irwin gets a crack at a WR3 role in Cincinnati as Tyler Boyd heads to free agency. Irwin also holds experience as the team’s backup return man, filling in last year when Charlie Jones was injured.
Heck rejoins the Texans on a one-year deal worth up to $3.3MM. He’ll add some key depth at an important position.
Rozeboom was a restricted free agent who wasn’t tendered. Regardless, the two sides work out a fully guaranteed deal for 2024.
Feeney joins the Vikings on a one-year deal. Though far removed from a consistent starting role with the Chargers, Feeney has continued to find starts throughout his career as a valuable body off the bench.
The Giants bring in two tight ends without much receiving experience. Manhertz, a veteran whose played for the Panthers from 2016-20, has extensive starting experience as a blocking tight end with 53 starts in his career.
Giants To Sign Aaron Stinnie, Austin Schlottmann
After signing Jon Runyan Jr. to work as one of their starting guards, the Giants are bringing in options for the other post. Losing 2023 starter Ben Bredeson to the Buccaneers, the Giants will add an ex-Tampa Bay cog.
Aaron Stinnie and Austin Schlottmann are joining the Giants, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. Both players have been spot starters and would stand to represent depth for a Giants team that was decimated up front last season. Schlottmann agreed to a two-year deal.
Stinnie, 30, mostly worked as a backup during his six-season Bucs tenure — save for his work in place of then-starter Alex Cappa during the team’s Super Bowl LV run — and went down with a season-ending injury before the 2022 regular season. Last year, however, the veteran interior lineman started 11 games and was in the lineup for both Bucs postseason contests. Stinnie took over for Matt Feiler; Pro Football Focus placed him in a tie with Runyan, at 47th, among guards last year.
Schlottmann, 28, has made 14 starts over a five-year career spent in Denver and Minnesota. He filled in at center for Garrett Bradbury late in the Vikings’ NFC North-winning 2022 season and started three games last year.
The Vikings would seem to have a combination of five starters comprised of non-Stinnie/Schlottman parts. Of course, it will depend on what the Giants see from Evan Neal. The former No. 7 overall pick has struggled throughout his young NFL career, and rumblings about a move to guard have surfaced. Neal at guard would allow the Giants to play Jermaine Eluemunor — given a two-year, $14MM contract — at right tackle. But if the team is intent on keeping Neal at tackle, Eluemunor would join Stinnie in a potential guard competition.
NFL Investigating Eagles, Falcons For Potential Tampering
Although the NFL calls its unofficial free agency the legal tampering period, the league is looking into whether two teams went too far during this year’s window. The Eagles and Falcons are under investigation, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano tweets.
The league is looking into potential violations from these teams during their respective Saquon Barkley and Kirk Cousins negotiations. Penn State coach James Franklin, who coached Barkley in college, said GM Howie Roseman spoke directly with the running back prior to the new league year. Teams are not permitted to speak directly with players during the tampering period unless they are self-represented; the Eagles have denied any violation occurred, ESPN.com’s Tim McManus notes.
Cousins said Wednesday night he spoke with the Falcons’ trainer during the tampering window, which is not permitted under league rules. While tampering ahead of the days that comprise the legal tampering period happens annually, as some deals come to pass rather quickly once the signing window opens. But the league is investigating these two high-profile team changes. Fines or potential loss of draft picks can come out of tampering violations.
“For him now to come back and be able to play within the state, in Philadelphia, he said that was one of the first things that Howie said to him on the phone as part of his sales pitch to him was not only the Philadelphia Eagles and that but obviously the connection with Penn State and the fan base as well,” Franklin said (via McManus) of Barkley’s Eagles talks.
As of Thursday morning, the Giants had not contacted the league about tampering, per McManus. By most accounts, the Giants were prepared to move on from the two-time Pro Bowler. While New York did add a veteran replacement in Devin Singletary, the ex-Brian Daboll Bills charge comes cheaper than Barkley, who signed a three-year, $37.75MM deal with $26MM guaranteed at signing. The Vikings did make a more concerted effort to retain Cousins, but the Falcons came in with a big offer — four years, $180MM with a $100MM practical guarantee — to lure him out of Minneapolis.
Rehabbing a torn Achilles sustained in late October, Cousins wants to be ready for the Falcons’ summer workouts. Falcons buzz began building coming out of the Combine, which often serves as a preview of the market. After battling uphill against Cousins during negotiations for years, the Vikings held tight against the kind of guarantee the Falcons are authorizing. As he prepares to move to his wife’s hometown, the 35-year-old passer will be working with the Falcons’ medical staff soon. The NFL will look into whether the Falcons’ staff violated tampering policies during this high-profile recruitment.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/13/24
Here are today’s free agent tender decisions:
RFAs
Tendered:
- Giants: CB Nick McCloud
- Rams: LB Michael Hoecht
- Seahawks: CB Michael Jackson, LB Jon Rhattigan
Non-tendered:
- Cardinals: DL Jonathan Ledbetter
- Commanders: LB Jabril Cox, RB Derrick Gore, LB De’Jon Harris
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Panthers: RB/KR Raheem Blackshear
- Titans: LB Jack Gibbens
RB AJ Dillon Eyeing Deal With Cowboys, Giants, Colts
Most of the top available running backs have quickly found a new home this offseason. The 2024 free agent class featured several prominent names, and they have switched teams (in certain cases, remaining in the division while doing so). AJ Dillon is among the best remaining backfield options, and he appears to have a shortlist of destinations. 
The former Packers back has interest in a deal with the Cowboys, Giants and Colts, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Dallas could indeed be a suitor for Dillon (although nothing is imminent at this time), colleague Jane Slater adds. Slater also notes a Cowboys reunion with Ezekiel Elliott is not in the team’s plans as things currently stand.
Dallas saw Tony Pollard take a deal with the Titans in the early portion of the negotiating window, a departure which did come as a major surprise. Pollard took on undisputed lead back duties with Elliott out of the picture last year, and his efficiency saw a notable decline. Still, eyebrows have been raised at the lack of action on the veteran market with respect to RBs for the Cowboys. The team’s second-leading rusher in 2023 was Rico Dowdle, who is unsigned.
The Giants also lost a 2023 franchise tag recipient in the form of Saquon Barkley. He made an intra-NFC East swap by joining the Eagles on a three-year deal, after the Giants did not submit a new offer this offseason. New York has, however, responded by bringing in Devin Singletary. The latter landed a three-year, $19.5MM pact to serve as the Giants’ lead back, so any Dillion arrangement would see him play as a backup or part of a tandem as he did in Green Bay with Aaron Jones.
Indianapolis appeared destined to trade Jonathan Taylor for much of the 2023 offseason, but he and the Colts ultimately worked out an extension. The 2021 rushing champion will be tasked with carrying the load next season and beyond, so like the Giants the Colts have less of a need in the backfield than the Cowboys. With Anthony Richardson at quarterback after a four-game rookie season, though, Indianapolis will no doubt prioritize a strong ground game.
Dillon played sparingly as a rookie in 2020, but since then he has seen a consistent workload serving as a change-of-pace compared to Jones. The 25-year-old totaled 1,573 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground between the 2021 and ’22 seasons, but he regressed last season. Dillion saw his yards per carry average drop to a career-low 3.4 in 2023, something which has no doubt hurt his market. If at least one of the three teams on his radar reciprocates his interest, though, a deal could be worked out somewhat quickly.
Giants Not Planning To Tender Isaiah Hodgins As RFA
A part-time starter and regular contributor for the Giants over the past two seasons, Isaiah Hodgins may not be part of the team’s 2024 plan. The Giants are not expected to tender Hodgins as a restricted free agent, per ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan.
The Giants did keep Hodgins as via ERFA tender last year, but the RFA numbers are more expensive. It would cost the Giants $2.98MM to keep Hodgins. While that would not be especially difficult to pull off, teams regularly pass on tendering a player only to bring him back at a lower rate. It remains to be seen if the Giants will consider keeping Hodgins for a third season.
Hodgins, 25, proved quite valuable for a receiver-thin Giants squad in 2022. The ex-Brian Daboll Bills charge — claimed off waivers midway through the 2022 slate — caught 33 passes for 351 yards and four touchdowns, reaching these totals despite playing in only eight Giants games. In New York’s playoff upset win in Minnesota, Hodgins scored and served as Daniel Jones‘ top target. His 8-105-1 line made a considerable difference in the Giants’ first playoff win since Super Bowl XLVI.
Kayvon Thibodeaux‘s production and the interesting Tommy DeVito stretch notwithstanding, just about everything fell apart for the Giants last season. The team added more receiving help, including Darren Waller and Parris Campbell, but still used Hodgins regularly. The 6-foot-3 target played ahead of Campbell and Sterling Shepard but saw fewer snaps than the re-signed Darius Slayton, Wan’Dale Robinson and third-round pick Jalin Hyatt. Hodgins caught 21 passes for 230 yards and three TDs.
The Giants have Slayton and Robinson still under contract alongside Hyatt, though Shepard and Campbell are unlikely to return. Hodgins, who did not play any special teams snap, may also be out of the picture soon. If the Giants do not draft a quarterback in Round 1, they are being closely tied to a big receiver investment.
Giants Declined Opportunity To Match Xavier McKinney Contract
The Giants took a risk by letting Xavier McKinney hit free agency, and the safety ended up bolting for a lucrative deal from the Packers. Before he committed to joining Green Bay, the Giants had “strong interest” in retaining the defensive back, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.
However, the front office was leery of handing McKinney the $17MM average annual value he ultimately earned from the Packers. That $17MM AAV puts McKinney in the top five of the highest-paid safeties in the NFL.
The Giants decided to not place the transition tag on McKinney, a decision that would have cost the team $13.8MM. As Schwartz writes, the Giants decided to not tag the safety in a “show of good faith,” although it ended up biting them when the Packers backed in with the Brink’s truck.
However, McKinney was still willing to honor the Giants’ handshake deal. As Schwartz passes along, the safety “did circle back” with the Giants and provided them an opportunity to match Green Bay’s offer. The Giants ultimately “deemed the price was too high for a safety.” We heard previously that the Giants were not prepared to go higher than the transition tag value, meaning there was like a $3MM AAV gap between the two sides.
While McKinney does not have a Pro Bowl on his resume, he is going into his age-25 season. That separated the Alabama alum from the lot of recently released safeties. Ranking 14th on PFR’s free agents list, McKinney played every snap for the Giants last season. McKinney intercepted three passes, forced a fumble and recorded a career-high 116 tackles in his contract year. He has run into some injury trouble, suffering a foot injury that delayed the start of his career in 2020 and then sustaining injuries in an ATV accident in 2022. These chunks of missed games did not deter the Packers, who made one of the biggest free agency commitments in team history.