New York Giants need to be creative to improve this offseason

The New York Giants finished just one game short of the postseason in 2020, missing out on a division title after the Philadelphia Eagles laid down in Week 17 against Washington, but that near-miss came with a 6-10 record. There is still a lot of work to be done for Giants' GM Dave Gettleman, who has to produce a winner this season at the risk of losing his job if he can't.

There are clear areas of need for New York, which will be tough to address since the Giants are currently about $8 million over the $182.5 million salary cap. That figure includes the franchise tag salary for defensive lineman Leonard Williams, who is expected to earn just over $19 million on the tag if the two sides can't come to a long-term deal to reduce his 2021 salary-cap charge.

Striking a deal with Williams before the new league year would be one way to get under the cap and the Giants can create more room by releasing guard Kevin Zeitler and offensive tackle Nate Solder, which would free $18 million in space. Doing that would also create two holes on the offensive line, which isn't a strength to begin with, so the Giants have tough decisions to make on that front.

Let's look at a few positions where the Giants can conceivably look to upgrade in the offseason and what options they could pursue to improve in those areas.

Wide Receiver

The Giants have already moved on from Golden Tate, leaving the top of the depth chart with Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton, who are fine complementary pieces but not no. 1 type options. The big fish in the free-agent pool is Kenny Golladay, who didn't get tagged by the Detroit Lions, but his price range will likely fall outside of what the Giants can afford. The same is true for JuJu Smith-Schuster, who also isn't a great scheme fit for New York since his best position is in the slot.

One free-agent swing the Giants could take is on former Titans' wideout Corey Davis, who never quite lived up to the hype as the fifth pick of the 2017 draft. Davis had a strong season in Tennessee, catching 65 passes for 987 yards and five touchdowns, so there is reason to believe he could be a post-hype breakout candidate in a new setting.

The most likely path to addressing this need is through the draft, where the Giants could have some options with the 11th pick in the first round. Alabama's Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith could be on the board by then, offering the Giants a chance to land an impact playmaker at a much more affordable cost than splashing for a free agent.

Offensive Line

The offensive line is still a work in progress for the Giants, who have a pair of potential building blocks in left tackle Andrew Thomas and left guard Will Hernandez. Cutting Zeitler would open up a hole at right guard while New York should look to at least bring in a veteran who can push second-year Matt Peart at right tackle if they move on from Solder.

One name to watch here is former Steelers' lineman Matt Feiler, who has experience at both guard and tackle. Feiler is an affordable option to give the Giants protection at two key positions, possibly buying time for a mid-round draft pick to develop as a starter at guard.

Defensive Line

There are two specific areas on the defensive front that the Giants could look to address. The first would be defensive tackle, where they would like to retain Dalvin Tomlinson but cap concerns may prevent them from doing so unless he is willing to take a hometown discount. Gettleman could look to take a flier on Kawann Short, who he drafted in Carolina and was just released by the Panthers after a pair of injury-plagued seasons. Short was a Pro Bowler as recently as 2018 and could be a good buy-low target to fill a hole on the interior.

Another problem the Giants need to address is the edge rusher position, which has been an area of need since Jason Pierre-Paul was traded to Tampa Bay in 2018. The free-agent market is full of intriguing options like Bud Dupree and Yannick Ngakoue, who could be splashy moves, or rotational pass rushers like Carl Lawson and Romeo Okwara. The draft could also be an avenue to address this need, either at No. 11 with a guy like Georgia's Azeez Ojulari or Michigan's Kwity Paye or in the second round.

Cornerback

Finding a no. 2 corner opposite James Bradberry would be ideal for the Giants, who have a collection of young players vying for that role right now. Darnay Holmes showed some promise as a rookie but it wouldn't be wise to just hand him a starting job without competition. There aren't a ton of great options on the free-agent market but the Giants could add a solid veteran to be a stopgap while younger options develop.

The draft is also an interesting place for the Giants to look for a longer-term fix at cornerback. The Giants could look for a corner at No. 11 if either Patrick Surtain II or Caleb Farley make it to their pick. The second round also should be a slot where New York can grab another corner to their collection of talented youngsters to see who emerges as a future starter.