The NY Giants’ Best (And Worst) Free Agent Signings in the Last Decade

Hop in the time machine and revisit these noteworthy--and in some cases, forgettable--Giants free agency additions.

Jun 18, 2025; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants guard Jermaine Eluemunor (72) speaks at a press conference during minicamp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | John Jones-Imagn Images

Although the New York Giants do not currently possess a significant amount of salary cap space, they are expected to be busy in free agency under new head coach John Harbaugh. While fans consider all the possible players who could join Big Blue, it feels like an ideal time to revisit the team's past signings.

Both the good and bad. People can rattle off plenty of costly moves during this dismal decade of Giants football, but there have also been some impactful acquisitions during the same span. Let's take a stroll down memory lane and spotlight the franchise's best and worst signings of the last 10 years (in chronological order).

Best: CB Janoris "Jackrabbit"Jenkins, 2016

Oct 10, 2019; Foxborough, MA, USA; New York Giants cornerback Janoris Jenkins (20) runs with the ball after intercepting a pass from the New England Patriots during the first half at Gillette Stadium. | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Janoris Jenkins' tenure with New York is polarizing, but he still helped the Giants clinch their first playoff berth since the Super Bowl-winning 2011-12 season. After signing a hefty five-year, $62.5 million contract with roughly $29 million guaranteed, the cornerback immediately boosted the squad.

Jenkins earned Second-Team All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl selection during the 2016-17 campaign, helping the organization post an 11-5 record (the best mark since 2008-09). He recorded 12 interceptions, two pick-sixes, 56 passes defended, and 204 combined tackles in 53 games with the Giants.

Jenkins' deal may have been steep, but he was a valuable playmaker in the post-Tom Coughlin era. Although the 2012 second-round draft pick was unable to ignite lasting change during his time with the team, he was still one of the most productive defensive talents during this bleak stretch.

Worst: OT Nate Solder, 2018

Dec 12, 2021; Inglewood, California, USA; New York Giants offensive tackle Nate Solder (76) defends against Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa (97) at SoFi Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Giants' offensive line was incomprehensibly inept in the late 2010s, but it was not from a lack of trying. Then-general manager Dave Gettleman made a huge splash right away, inking two-time Super Bowl champion Nate Solder to a four-year, $62 million deal with $34.8 million guaranteed.

Needless to say, it did not work out. Solder, who was brought in after Ereck Flowers didn’t work out for the Giants, had sharply declined performance-wise.  

The O-Line remained fragile following the front office's massive whiff, and a troubling trend of accomplished/expensive players woefully underachieving in the Meadowlands would officially begin. Solder retired in 2022, ending his NFL career on a whimper.

Best: OLB Markus Golden, 2019

Dec 9, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; New York Giants linebacker Markus Golden (44) celebrates his sack during the first quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Not all these additions need to have long-lasting effects. Capitalizing on a good old-fashioned bargain is enough to earn the organization some kudos.

Former Arizona Cardinals outside linebacker Markus Golden spent less than two years with Big Blue, but he still left a mark in MetLife Stadium before being sent back to Glendale in 2020.

Golden totaled a team-high 10.0 sacks during the 2019-20 season and outperformed his $3.75 million contract.

While he did scuffle the following season, the pass-rusher can still take pride in posting a double-digit sack campaign for one of the NFL's most historic institutions.

Worst: WR Golden Tate, 2019

New York Giants wide receiver Golden Tate (15) walks off the field after a 25-23 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium on Monday, Nov. 2, 2020, in East Rutherford. | Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com via Imagn Content Services, LLC

New York required wide receiver help after trading Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns, so the front office quickly decided to commit $23 million guaranteed to Super Bowl XLVIII champion and 2014 Pro Bowler Golden Tate.

Once again, Gettleman overvalued a player for his past contributions. Tate, who had faded into the background in his final year with the Detroit Lions, was unable to find a consistent form with the Giants. Things went awry before he even suited up for a game.

Tate was suspended for the first four weeks of the 2019-20 campaign after taking a banned substance that he says was a prescribed fertility medication.

When the veteran pass-catcher was on the field, the results were overall underwhelming. He produced in flashes but missed time in his two seasons with the squad.

Tate totaled 84 receptions on 137 targets for 1,064 yards and eight touchdowns in 23 games for New York. He was not the game-changer that ownership paid for, but if it is any consolation, he is not the worst ex-Lions receiver that Gettleman brought onto the roster.

We'll get to that guy in a bit.

Best: OT Jermaine Eluemunor, 2024

Oct 26, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants guard Jermaine Eluemunor (72) blocks Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (98) at Lincoln Financial Field. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Joe Schoen's failure to re-sign Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney in 2024 was the breaking point for many fans, but the endlessly criticized general manager did make a concentrated effort to upgrade the offensive line in the same offseason.

New York scooped up veteran tackle Jermaine Eluemunor on a two-year, $14 million deal, a move that was instrumental in reviving the franchise's long-ailing protection unit.

The 2017 fifth-rounder displayed needed versatility in his first season in Giants blue, logging 313 snaps at left tackle in place of the injured Andrew Thomas. He had the luxury of staying on the right side this past season, and what ensued was the best year of his career.

Eluemunor allowed four sacks and 20 total pressures in 1,088 snaps, per Pro Football Focus. His 14 penalties were an issue, but the 31-year-old was one of the top pass-protectors at his position. He did his part to help rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart develop in the NFL.

The Giants now have a tough decision to make, as Eluemunor reenters the open market. They may not get a bargain this time around, however.

Worst: WR Kenny Golladay, 2021

New York Giants receiver Kenny Golladay exits the field after his team's 24-16 win over the Houston Texans at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. on Nov. 13, 2022. Syndication The Record | Chris Pedota / USA TODAY NETWORK

Despite missing most of the 2020 season due to a serious hip injury, Lions star Kenny Golladay was still able to secure a $72 million contract and $28 million guaranteed from the Giants. Throwing money at the problem produced disastrous results for New York, yet again.

The former Pro Bowl wideout posted only 37 catches for 521 yards in 14 games in 2021-22, looking more like a complementary piece than the true No. 1 that the team invested in during free agency. He cratered in his next campaign.

Golladay recorded just six total receptions and one touchdown in the 2022-23 season, as tension began to build. His role with the Giants was severely diminished under new head coach Brian Daboll, and he lost virtually all fan support.

By the time New York released the 6-foot-4 "playmaker" in March of 2023, people were already calling the Golladay signing one of the worst in NFL history.

Best: IOL Greg Van Roten, 2024

Greg Van Roten, a guard with the NY Giants, speaks to the press after a practice at Quest Diagnostics Training Center, East Rutherford, NJ, May 28, 2025. | Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The aging right guard has not collected any awards during his lengthy NFL run, nor is he a high-end offensive lineman, but he has been ready to do battle each and every week since signing a $2 million deal with New York in 2024. Greg Van Roten does his job at a competent level, and that is not something to take for granted.

The 36-year-old, who will be a free agent, registered 2,272 offensive snaps for the Giants over the last two seasons. He also served as an iron man on an O-line that is usually contending with a slew of injuries. He rarely commits penalties and did not surrender a sack from Week 7 onward last year.

Simply put, Van Roten is a warrior, but not the kind that is showered with praise or given large contracts. He joined the organization during a time when stability was sorely needed, and although New York has finished in last place in consecutive seasons, the near-300-pounder undeniably pushed the offensive line forward.

Whether or not he plays another snap with the Giants, Van Roten should be regarded as a sneaky acquisition who embodied the traits that characterize classic Big Blue football.

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Worst: WR Darius Slayton, 2025

New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton (18) breaks a tackle attempt by Dallas Cowboys cornerback Corey Ballentine (36) before getting a Big Blue first down, Sunday, January 4, 2026, in East Rutherford. | Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton still has two years remaining on his $36 million contract, but it seems safe to say this was a huge blunder. Besides the on-field struggles, which include six drops in 14 games, the optics of re-signing the former fifth-rounder are terribly off-putting.

Schoen allocated $22 million guaranteed to Slayton, which was only $4 million less than what the Eagles promised Barkley the year before. Regardless of what management intended, the message to the fandom was as follows: a middling receiver takes priority over an All-Pro-caliber RB.

Because of the financial obligations New York has to the 29-year-old, retaining unrestricted free agent Wan'Dale Robinson will be quite difficult. If John Harbaugh decides he wants to cut Slayton, the team will collect $15.75 million in dead money.

This misguided gamble lacked common sense and underlines the discombobulated approach the Giants have taken for far too long.

Hopefully, Harbaugh will bring some cohesion and sound logic to the front office in 2026 NFL free agency. Fans cannot bear another historically bad signing.