Giants Free Agency Forecast: Projecting Who Will Be Back and Who Won't

NFL free agency begins on March 18, 2020. Barring any new deals being reached between now and then, the Giants have some decisions to make on over a dozen players whose contracts are set to expire.

Which players will fit what new head coach Joe Judge and his staff are looking for and who won't? Who will be too expensive to retain? And how will they handle their restricted free agents when the minimum tender is a healthy $2.144 million per RFA?

We have all that and more in our Giants-free agency forecast.

Restricted Free Agents

Jon Halapio, C: The 29-year-old Halapio is a good guy and as hard of a worker as there is in that Giants' locker room. But he's also rehabbing from a torn ACL that he suffered in the regular-season finale. That would make it highly unlikely that he'll be ready to pass a physical to even qualify for a new deal, which at the original tender would be $2.144 million. The Giants will likely look to upgrade at center, and they'll probably pass on tendering Halapio, though they may try to sign him later in the off-season pending on how his rehab goes to a lower contract.

Aldrick Rosas, K: Rosas' 2019 season was very similar to his 2017 campaign in that it was inconsistent. Many people will argue that it's due to the reduction of opportunities that didn't allow him to get into a groove, though there will be others who don't view that as a viable excuse. The Giants probably won't give up on him, and they'll probably be able to get away with tendering Rosas at an original round tender ($2.144 million), but look for him to get some competition this year.

Elijhaa Penny, FB: The 27-year-old Penny isn't a bad player. However, tendering him an original round tender ($2.144 million) seems a bit high for a fullback that could see less than 100 snaps during the 2020 season. (This based on the 69 snaps Cowboys fullback Jamize Olawale logged last year on Jason Garrett's offense.) Penny deserves a chance to compete for a spot, but only if he'd be willing to take a one-year deal commensurate with his accrued experience ($820,000).

Colin Holba, LS: The 26-year-old Holba handled the long-snapping duties with aplomb after long-time snapper Zak Deossie was placed on injured reserve. But again, to devote $2.144 million on a guy who usually plays less than a dozen snaps per game and who isn't often the first guy down the field on punts isn't a good use of cap space. Look for the Giants to try to get Holba back on a lower deal.

Watch: Sneaky Roster Needs

Unrestricted Free Agents

Leonard Williams, DE: The Giants have left themselves with no choice but to re-sign Wiliams, especially after parting with premium draft capital to get him via a trade. The problem is that they'll likely have to overspend on a guy who is more of a complementary piece than a game-changer in the same vein as Aaron Donald. They have the cap space to do it, but they also have other needs to fill

Markus Golden, OLB: The 29-year-old Golden would be a great player to have, but his return shouldn't' be a given. For one, the Giants can likely take the cap dollars that it would take to re-sign Golden and use it on a younger and more consistent pass rusher who can be a No. 1 rather than a complementary piece. If they can pair that to-be-determined free agent with a draft pick, and get one or both of Lorenzo Carter and Oshane Ximines to make more of an impact, the cap dollars that would otherwise have to be spent to keep Golden can go toward other needs.

Mike Remmers, RT: Remmers was a steady player, but with Jack Conklin set to hit the market and the 2020 draft class ripe with legitimate tackles, if the Giants are going to upgrade this unit--and they should--they need to let Remmers go.

Michael Thomas, FS: The 31-year-old Thomas is not only a good locker room presence, but he has also been a solid contributor to the core special teams. Thomas also brings a veteran presence to a relatively young defensive backfield that could very well end up getting even younger by the time this off-season is through.

Cody Latimer, WR: The 28-year-old Latimer was initially signed brought in for special teams, but thanks to injuries, he received some opportunities to contribute to the offense but was never really a big-play guy nor a big "yards after the catch" guy. As the Giants are likely to move toward more of a vertical offense, they need to borrow a page out of the defending Super Bowl champions' playbook and add receivers with speed and the ability to separate to this offense.

Russell Shepard, WR: Like Michael Thomas, Shepard is another one of those positive locker room influences. Unlike Thomas, Shepard's role on this team seems to have been passed down to younger players. Perhaps though if the two sides want to remain with each other, Shepard might consider retiring and turning to coach, where he wouldn't count against the salary cap. Shepard has aspired to be a coach anyway, and would probably make a great assistant to receivers coach Tyke Tolbert.

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Zak DeOssie, LS: Currently the last of the active Super Bowl XLII players on the roster, the 36-year-old DeOssie has been slowed down in recent years by injuries, making his return for another season a longshot. But even if healthy, DeOssie, an outstanding locker room leader, isn't the dynamo that he once was and probably will follow Manning into retirement.

Antonio Hamilton, CB: The 27-year-old Hamilton was primarily a special teams contributor and a solid one at that, though not quite in the same league as Cody Core. If the Giants have to choose between Hamilton, who didn't really work out as a cornerback, and Core, the latter should be the recipient of the new contract, and it shouldn't even be close.

David Mayo, ILB: A waiver wire pickup, Mayo was solid against the run, but not so much in coverage. With that said, the Giants need to get more speed at the inside linebacker position, and preferably get an every-down linebacker--through the draft if possible--for a defense that is in sore need of playmakers.

Javorius Allen, RB: Somewhere along the line late int he season, the 29-year-old Allen began to outperform Wayne Gallman in practice, an occurrence that led to Gallman's game snaps disappearing. Allen, who earned a chance to compete for a job on the 2020 team, seems to have no problem with playing second fiddle to Saquon Barkley and probably wouldn't demand an outrageous amount of money to stick around. That doesn't mean he should be a lock for a roster spot, but certainly, a contract with a minimal signing bonus won't hurt the Giants' cap.

Deone Bucannon, ILB: Bucannon was brought in to help now-former defensive coordinator James Bettcher's defense. It's hard to imagine Bucannon--who did show a little more than Alec Ogletree--will be brought back at a position that desperately needs playmakers.

Scott Simonson, TE: The 28-year-old Simon returned to the Giants late in the year after spending time away letting a high ankle sprain suffered int eh preseason finale heal up. In the meantime, a youngster by the name of Kaden Smith was acquired off waivers and sure did look like a keeper and a player whose skill set pairs well with Evan Engram's. Simonson could get a minimum salary type of deal that has a small dead money hit, but in all likelihood, the Giants will probably look to get younger here.

Corey Coleman, WR: The 26-year-old Coleman was starting to come into his own when a torn ACL brought everything to a screeching halt. The good news is that his injury happened very early in training camp, so by the time September rolls around, any lingering effects of that injury should be all but gone. It still might take a few months before the Giants know if he's lost any of his quickness or explosiveness; for that reason, a one-year "prove it" deal might be the way to go.

Cody Core, WR: The 26-year-old Core has been an absolute steal for the Giants and was arguably their best special teams player in 2019. Core finished with a team-leading eight special teams tackles, six of which were solo and was routinely the first man down the field, delivering some of the finest gunner play this team has seen in a while, which that alone makes him deserving of another contract.

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