New York Giants Top Free-agent Quarterback Options
There's not much we know for sure about the New York Giants' off-season roster-building plans, but one thing we do know, thanks to the end-of-year revelation by general manager Joe Schoen, is that a quarterback will be added to the roster.
Schoen even went so far as to say during his year-end press conference that while the expectation was for incumbent Daniel Jones to get the green light following a torn ACL, the team would look for someone who could come in, and prove not only capable of being a starter but also win games.
That translates to a veteran, not necessarily Tommy DeVito, who strung together a three-game win streak last season as an undrafted rookie free agent.
The question is who from among the veteran quarterbacks is set to hit free agency, which would be the best option. The Giants, remember, have Jones on the books for $47.105 million, $36 million of which is fully guaranteed. If they do add a veteran, they can't afford to spend a gob of money on a contract. They may have to structure a deal similar to what Tyrod Taylor received regarding the contract's annual value sliding around depending on whether that person comes in to start.
If that's the case, you can probably rule out Kirk Cousins (Vikings) and Baker Mayfield (Bucs) as options. Cousins will likely return to Minnesota, while there have been reports that Mayfield may have found a long-term home in Tampa Bay.
Jameis Winston of the Saints is an option, but he recently wanted to remain in New Orleans. So here are three other possibilities that could be fits for the Giants.
Ryan Tannehill (Tennessee)
Tannehill is one of those quarterbacks where statistics make him look worse than he is. He’s not great by any stretch, but he’s better than his stats suggest and can function as a game manager.
At this point in his career, Tannehill should be looking for a place to compete for a starting spot with no true expectations. From the Giants' side, he’s a veteran with over a decade of experience and shouldn’t cost a fortune.
Gardner Minshew (Indianapolis)
Minshew just wrapped up the first Pro Bowl bid of his career after replacing injured rookie Anthony Richardson in Week 5. Once Richardson is greenlighted to return, he will likely be the Colts' starter again.
Monshew, because of his Pro Bowl status, will likely have a group of suitors for his services. I expect he will either go to a place with a completely open quarterback competition, such as Atlanta, Pittsburgh, or Washington, to compete or return to the Colts, who have expressed an interest in bringing him back. Still, it might be worth a call to see if he is interested.
Drew Lock (Seattle)
When Denver drafted Drew Lock, he was thrown into the fire as a rookie in a terrible offensive system with a poor supporting cast. He played under former Giants head coach Pat Shurmur during his next two seasons and saw improvement.
Lock was sent to Seattle in the Russell Wilson trade and has backed up Geno Smith ever since, seeing two starts this year against San Francisco and Philadelphia, where he had strong performances considering the defenses faced.
One area that Lock has always been solid is that he’s a gamer. He makes big-time, aggressive throws and, dating back to his Missouri days, has shown up when needed. He is a low-risk, high-reward signing in free agency that could compete with Jones.
Mitchell Trubisky (Pittsburgh)
When the Pittsburgh Steelers announced they would release Trubisky earlier this week, an immediate reaction was that the Giants might be suitors for his services. Trubisky, remember, spent the 2021 season with the Buffalo Bills backing up Josh Allen, so he has experience in Brian Daboll’s offense.
It’s highly unlikely that Trubisky's market value will be sky-high, as he’s yet to prove that he's anything more than a backup quarterback or very low-level starter. A cheap contract for a backup quarterback with experience in the offense is something the team has to be interested in.
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