The 2019 NFL Draft has officially come and gone, but for the New York Giants, there’s still plenty of work that needs to be done.
Despite addressing several areas of need in the draft, the Giants still having lingering — and in some cases, glaring — issues that need to be address, which means their time fishing in the free agent pool is far from over.
As of May 7, the compensatory pick forumla no longer comes into play, so general manager Dave Gettleman & Co. no longer risk losing a potential pick. So once that date arrives, here’s a few names the Giants could poke around.
Shane Ray, outside linebacker
Ray is arguably the best pass rusher remaining on the free agent market. With the Giants desperately needing to add to this area, they could possibly bring in the former first round pick to see if he can still play.
The soon to be 26-year-old had the best season of his career back in 2016 posting eight sacks with the Denver Broncos. Since then, he has undergone a total of four wrist surgeries since 2017. The least the G-Men could do is have him in for a try-out to see if the wrist is still an issue.
Nick Perry, outside linebacker
Perry was released by the Green Bay Packers in March and is still currently looking for a home following the draft. The outside linebacker fits the Giants’ 3-4 scheme, which he played in with the Packers for the last seven seasons.
Perry had a down year in 2018 with only 24 tackles and 1.5 sacks in new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine’s defense. He also suffered a knee injury, which ended his season in November. Despite his injury and low numbers, Perry recorded 18 sacks combined in the previous two seasons.
In a league where you can “never have too may pass rushers,” Perry could be worth while for James Bettcher to bring in on his defense and add to his group of pass rushers.
Bilal Powell, running back
There are a group of household name veteran running backs who are still out there on the market. It would make a lot of sense for the Giants to take a look at one of the following options to complement Saquan Barkley and Wayne Gallman. Adding one of these rushers would also provide some insurance if one of the first two backs on the roster were to get injured.
Powell, the former Jets running back, is coming off a season where he only played in seven games due to a neck injury. Despite his short season, Powell has shown no sign of slowing down rushing for over 1,400 yards combined in the previous two seasons. The 30-year-old running back could be a cheap and solid option for big blue given his age and previous injury.
Darren Sproles, running back
After two injury plagued seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles over the past two years, Darren Sproles could be a possible third option who the Giants could kick the tires on.
Despite being 35-years-of-age, Sproles is still a very productive player when he is on the field. If he were to join big blue, his snaps would be limited, which could help him remain healthy in a lesser role, while providing some productivity as the third alternative in the backfield.
Jeremy Hill, running back
Hill is another intriguing option, who was once a productive featured back that has dealt with some injuries over the past two seasons. Despite tearing his ACL with the New England Patriots in Week 1 of last season, Hill is just 26-years-old and could be a low risk high reward signing for the Giants if they were to take a chance on him.
Jay Ajayi, running back
Like Jeremy Hill, Ajayi is another young backfield option, who is coming off a torn ACL. The 25-year-old Eagles runnning back suffered this injury in week 5 of last season, so he should be progressing smoothly through his rehab by now.
Ajayi helped the Eagles capture their first Super Bowl championship back in 2017, where he was apart of the two headed monster in the backfield between himself and Legarrette Blount. After being acquired by the Miami Dolphins during the regular season, Ajayi rushed for 592 yards and one touchdown in 10 games providing a nice complement to Blount and creating a very productive ground game in Philly.
Chris Ivory, running back
Ivory could be another familiar candidate to come in and be the Giants third string running back. The 31-year-old is a tough back, who is no stranger to New York spending three seasons with the Jets.
Ivory rushed for 385 yards on 115 carries for the Buffalo Bills in 13 games last season. This type of production would be a luxury for the Giants to have in situations, where they want to give Saquan or Gallman a rest.
Mike Remmers, offensive tackle
With right tackle is the largest glaring need for the Giants at the moment, there are still some players out there who could come in and compete for the starting job.
Although Remmers is still rehabbing an unknown injury, he will re-visit the Giants for a second time according to Dave Gettleman’s comments at the post draft press conference. Both sides reportedly had “mutual interest” and remained in contact since his first trip to East Rutherford last month.
Remmers was originally signed by Gettleman to the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad back in 2014 after bouncing around from Tampa Bay to St. Louis an undrafted free agent. He would ultimately become Carolina’s starting right tackle over the course of the next two seasons in 2015-16.
Remmers has started 64 out of 65 games in his career, where he has spent the majority of his playing time at right tackle. In 2017, the Minnesota Vikings signed him to a 5-year $30 million deal and eventually moved him over to guard last season.
With the draft concluding without the Giants using a high pick on a tackle, this position remains the biggest hole on the roster that must be addressed. Remmers would make all the sense in the world to come in and start if and when he completes his rehab and everything checks out okay with his physical.
Donald Penn, offensive tackle
Penn is a three-time pro bowler who most recently earned the honor in 2017. The 35-year-old tackle is coming off a season-ending groin injury last season, along with foot surgery from the previous year.
The Oakland Raiders drafted his replacement in 2018 in Kolten Miller, who beat him out for the starting left tackle spot last year. Penn would start the first four games on the right side before being placed on I.R.
Although Penn struggled at right tackle in limited action, he was still one of games premier tackles not too long ago and could at least be worth a look to come in and compete for the job.
Brock Osweiler, Quarterback
While Brock Osweiler has certainly been disappointing since he became a full-time starter in the league, he is a highly experienced backup who holds the ability to step in and potentially win some games if needed.
Osweiler played for the Miami Dolphins in 2018, where he was forced into the starting lineup for Ryan Tannehill. In seven games, the quarterback made five starts and threw for 1,247 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions. Osweiler also went 2-3 as the starter for the Dolphins.
Osweiler is at least worth a look to compete with the likes of Alex Tanney. He without a doubt brings more ability and experience to the table over Tanney. He also provides another veteran presence in the quarterback room, along with Eli Manning to help mentor the young top draft pick Daniel Jones.
