How Giants Should Proceed with Top Pending Unrestricted Free Agents

Some of the Giants' upcoming UFA decisions are no-brainers. Here are the five names that could easily go either way.

New York Giants OT Jermaine Eluemunor is among the top UFA candidates the Giants have to decide on. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The New York Giants have 19 players who are pending unrestricted free agents, but not all of them will necessarily be back with the team.

Here is a look at some of the top Giants free agents-to-be that could go either way and what we think the Giants will do.

SAF Dane Belton

New York Giants safety Dane Belton | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Throughout his career, Belton has yet to show he can be a full-time starter, and has twice been passed over for such a role, first with the drafting of Tyler Nubin last year and then with the signing of Jevon Holland in free agency.

There’s a reason for that. Belton is at his best when he patrols the line of scrimmage, but ask him to play a deep high safety, and he can’t deliver the goods because he lacks the agility and the long speed to play the deep zones.  

Where Belton has been very good for the Giants is on special teams. He leads the Giants with 16 special teams tackles (six solos), and has even found his name in and out of the top-10 voting for special teams in this year’s ballot. 

Is that enough to warrant a second contract, which, per Spotrac, his market value is a two-year, $$10.991 million deal ($5.5 million per season)? 

No. 

Just as Belton stepped up on special teams, so too could another player. Belton is a nice depth piece, but if that’s his market value, the Giants are better off going elsewhere.

ILB Micah McFadden

New York Giants linebacker Micah McFadden | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

McFadden was set to be a major contributor for the Giants' defense in the final year of his rookie deal before suffering a foot injury in Week 1 against the Commanders that ended his season.

In the last two seasons, McFadden has been a mainstay on the Giants' defense at linebacker, playing at least 650 snaps and recording 70+ tackles. The drawback to his game, over that period, has been missed tackles. McFadden, per PFF, has twice finished as the defense's leader in missed tackles, having posted 16 in 2024 and 25 the season prior.

That said, McFadden’s injury could very well set the stage for a short-term return on a team-friendly contract, especially if McFadden isn’t able to pass a physical by the time his contract needs to be addressed.

If he’s willing to return under those perimeters, we’d make the move.

OT Jermaine Eluemunor

New York Giants OL Jermaine Eluemunor | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Jermaine Eluemunor has been a godsend for the Giants. Signed to a very team-friendly two-year, $14 million deal in the 2024 offseason to be a swing guard/tackle, Eluemunor stepped right into the starting offensive line’s lineup when first-round bust Evan Neal suffered a setback in his return from ankle surgery, and the 31-year-old Eluemunor has been a mainstay since.

Eluemunoris is the Giants' highest-rated pass blocker on the starting line (min. 500 pass blocking snaps) outside of Andrew Thomas. On the downside, he’s also drawn the most penalties this season – 11 (one declined), with half of the ten penalties that were accepted contributing to stalled drives.  

While it hasn’t been a perfect showing at times for Eluemunor, he has been more than serviceable, and he has been pretty much durable, missing just three games since donning the Big Blue jersey.

The Giants drafted Marcus Mbow this past year, perhaps with the intention of plugging him in at right tackle once Eluemunor’s contract expired. 

But there is no reason why the Giants can’t have both players in the starting lineup next year if they consider moving Mbow to right guard to replace Greg Van Roten and let the young man cut his teeth next to Eluemunor on that right side.

Spotrac projects a two-year, $17.787 million contract ($8.9 million APY) for Eluemunor. We’d have no problem with that if it meant keeping the starting offensive line as intact as possible.

WR Wan’Dale Robinson

New York Giants wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Even before receiver Malik Nabers went down with a season-ending ACL injury back in Week 4, Wan’Dale Robinson was long showing Giants fans who questioned the logic and plan behind the team’s making the diminutive receiver its second-round pick in 2022.

Entering Week 16, Robinson has notched a career high of 828 receiving yards on 73 receptions, and he has tied his career high in touchdowns with three through 13 games, making him one of six players in the league with three touchdown catches of 30+ yards. 

Overall, he came into Week 16 tied for sixth in third-down receptions (22), ninth in receptions (78), tied for ninth in receptions of 25+ yards (10), and 14th in receiving yards (882). 

For the second season in a row, he’s been the target of 100+ pass attempts. Robinson actually expanded his contributions beyond that of a slot receiver, which was thought to be his initial full-time role.

Given his growth over the last two years, there’s little doubt that Robinson has earned himself a nice payday. Spotrac projects Robinson’s market value as being a four-year, $59.958 contract ($15 million per season), which might seem a bit high for a guy who some argue is not a legitimate No. 2 receiver. 

The Giants will probably want Robinson back, given the investment they made in his development. Still, it’s hard to fathom them wanting him back at that estimated price, with Malik Nabers eventually needing his deal extended. 

While we’re all in favor of keeping homegrown talent, we suspect the Giants will turn to the draft to find a legitimate No. 2 receiver that they can carry on a rookie deal and use the money that otherwise might have been used to retain Robinson elsewhere.  

CB Cor’Dale Flott

New York Giants cornerback Cor'Dale Flott | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Flott’s NFL journey has reminded us somewhat of former Giants safety Julian Love’s.

For three seasons, Flott was a part-time player, probably more so due to injuries, which might be the one caution necessary with re-signing him to a big deal. That said, Flott has turned into a surprisingly steady contributor, stepping up to beat out first-round draft bust Deonte Banks.

This year alone, Flott, entering Week 16, has allowed nine open targets, tied for the fewest in the NFL with Texans cornerback Derek Stingley, Jr. (minimum 55 targets).  Flott has set a new single-season career-high with 10 passes defensed in 2025, all solid numbers.

Solid, however, probably won’t be good enough to warrant a four-year, $39.978 million deal ($10 million APY). No one is going to mistake Flott as a shutdown cornerback, not with only three career interceptions and 24 pass breakups to his name (as of Week 16 of the 2025 season). 

Overall, the Giants are going to need depth at cornerback, and that will likely include getting a shutdown type who is also durable onto the roster.

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