3 Best Potential Cap Cuts from Other Teams for NY Giants

The unofficial start of NFL free agency—also known as the legal tampering window—is just a couple of days away, and for a good portion of the league’s 32 teams, that means an accounting of their cap space has to come quickly in order to be ready for the spending spree.

It’s no different for the New York Giants, who made an early move to release veteran linebacker Bobby Okereke and boosted their available cap space up to $9.8 million, according to Over the Cap.

There is still more work to be done before things open up, but so is the task of seeing if any external cap cuts from other franchises might unleash players who would be good fits for the Giants' biggest roster needs this offseason.

As much as they will be focused on their own unrestricted free agents and discerning which areas are better suited for the draft, the Giants will be active in trying to poach a few names that become available in due time and can help improve the product they hope to put on the field in 2026.

While we wait to see what unfolds in the prelude to free agency, here are a handful of potential players who could become cap casualties and, in turn, land right on the Giants’ radar as they look to swing some deals.

CB Marlon Humphrey (Ravens)

Dec 27, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) reacts after intercepting a pass during the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. | Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images

The Giants are not going to be shy about using their bond with new head coach John Harbaugh to try to lure certain players to East Rutherford next season, including some potential names that could shake loose from his Baltimore Ravens days.

One guy who might enter that list is Marlon Humphrey, a nine-year veteran with the Ravens who has been a key member of their secondary and a valuable producer in his individual role, dating back to 2017, when Harbaugh drafted him No. 16 overall out of Alabama.

In that time, the 29-year-old Humphrey has played in 131 games, notching over 800 coverage snaps in five seasons while making at least 58 total tackles in six of them.

He has also been a quality ballhawk for the Ravens, excelling at getting after the football and forcing turnovers, with 68 career pass deflections, at least 2 forced fumbles in 4 seasons, and 2 interceptions in 6 years as a starting option.

Humphrey has also garnered meaningful experience coming in from the slot position and taking on a presence against the run in the box. In 703 career snaps there, he has made 150 stops, forced 18 turnovers, and missed just 77 of 468 total tackles.

It might be hard for the Ravens to just flat-out let him walk to free agency, but their cap situation, which sits barely above the Giants at $18.56 million, and a lackluster season for the veteran corner could entice them to part ways as new leadership takes over the organization.

Often, the potential of significant cap savings forces a team’s hand, and it could lead to Humphrey becoming available, where perhaps a reunion with Harbaugh and a new system could help spark his game as a top starting option for New York.

DT A’Shawn Robinson (Panthers)

Carolina Panthers defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson — Nov 9, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive end A'Shawn Robinson (94) looks on before the game against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

While the Giants were heavy hitters on the defensive front last offseason, their efforts didn’t bear as much fruit on the stat sheet as they struggled to slow down opposing run games and offer some help to their captain, Dexter Lawrence.

They will likely go back to the drawing board to bring in a veteran who can complement the All-Pro gap stuffer. A reunion might be something to watch for as the Carolina Panthers weigh their cap casualties, one of whom could be defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson.

For Giants fans who remember that name, Robinson was signed by the Giants ahead of the 2023 season, appearing in all 17 games and serving as a reliable contributor in the trenches.

Robinson led all defensive linemen with 62 total tackles that season, along with making six tackles for loss and two pass deflections. His run defense metrics were even more impressive, missing only five tackles for a 7.7% missed tackle rate and 36 stops, which are still the highest in a single season of his career.

Short of Lawrence himself, the Giants got an excellent return from their one-year partnership with Robinson, whose stint as their second-highest graded gap stuffer landed him a more lucrative three-year deal worth $22.5 million with the Panthers in the 2024 free agent cycle.

The Panthers might be having second thoughts about the $12.7 million cap hit that Robinson is set to accrue in 2026 and be willing to release him to cash in on the potential savings. He would make a nice veteran duo with Lawrence in the middle of the defensive front that allowed the worst average yards per rush attempt last season.

Even with his age nearing 31 years old, Robinson’s stats didn’t take much of a hit over the last two seasons, with at least 65 tackles and a combined eight sacks, two forced fumbles, and a missed tackle rate below 8%.

The Giants should welcome back a familiar face as they shore up the defensive front and make it easier for Lawrence to get more involved than he was in 2025 under the duress of frequent double-team blocks.

WR Michael Pittman (Colts)

Dec 7, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (11) warms up before an NFL game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. | Travis Register-Imagn Images

Among the biggest needs this offseason, the Giants are still searching for an extra playmaking threat for their offense, with the timetable of Malik Nabers’ return to the field next season uncertain and Wan’Dale Robinson more than likely to earn a bigger free agent contract elsewhere.

The position has felt like one the Giants chose to address in the draft with a top prospect and their No. 5 pick, but it isn’t a guarantee, given they have large holes to fill on defense as well.

If they do go the route of the open market or waiting to see if an intriguing pass catcher drops off the back of a roster, one interesting name to follow is Indianapolis Colts receiver Michael Pittman Jr.

The Colts have already had an interesting start to the offseason, electing to transition tag former Giants quarterback Daniel Jones following his injury-shortened season instead of hanging the tag on fellow receiver and impending free agent Alec Pierce.

Pierce, who is expected to be one of the most sought-after offensive players on the open market next week, could force the Colts to make the tough decision to release another top player in order to create the cap space needed to re-sign him long term.

Pittman would be among the top options for a cap casualty, as he is set to carry a massive $29.1 million cap hit, which is very expensive to carry two pass catchers with that level of a price tag, assuming Pierce does re-sign with the Colts.

It becomes a tough loss due to his production, which finished at 80 catches for 784 yards and seven touchdowns in 2025. He also had two 1,000-yard campaigns in 2021 and 2023 and has all the potential to be a primary vertical threat on the perimeter to pair with Nabers.

The potential cost wouldn’t be cheap for a veteran of his caliber, but could be slightly less than what Wan’Dale Robinson will command on the free agent market as a result of recency bias with his first 1,000-yard season this past fall.