Three players the New York Giants could release to create cap space this offseason might surprise the fanbase.
The New York Giants, despite missing the NFL Playoffs for the fourth consecutive season and falling one game shy of winning the NFC East, believe that significant progress was made in Joe Judge’s first season as head coach.
However, the reality is that this remains a rebuilding franchise with limited cap space ahead of what promises to be a tumultuous offseason across the NFL.
Dave Gettleman has expressed a desire in aggressively bolstering the supporting cast of offensive playmakers around quarterback Daniel Jones, as Jones enters his third NFL season after regressing rather dramatically in 2020.
Yet, Gettleman is going to need to be creative if the Giants want to play at the top of the wide receiver market, eyeing the likes of Allen Robinson, Chris Godwin, and Kenny Golladay, should they all become unrestricted free agents on March 17.
The NY Giants enter the offseason with just $1.33 million in cap space, which could lead to some surprise cuts being made ahead of the new league year beginning.
Here’s a look at three players who could be let go to create some much-needed spending flexibility this offseason:
3) TE Evan Engram
Somehow, Evan Engram was named to his first Pro Bowl after what was arguably the most disappointing season of his career.
The arrival of Jason Garrett as offensive coordinator was expected to throw open the Giants’ playbook in a way that utilized Engram as a matchup nightmare in the vertical passing game or created opportunities for him to make plays after the catch over the middle. Neither of those things happened.
Engram dropped nine passes, caught just 63 passes for 654 yards and a career-low one touchdown as the Giants often handed the ball off to Engram on end-arounds trying whatever they could to reliably get the ball in his hands to utilize his speed and athleticism.
Combine Engram’s regression in 2020, both sides seemingly reaching a point where a fresh start would be beneficial, and the fact that Engram is set to play on a fifth-year option worth just over $6 million, and he is a prime candidate to be released.
Imagine the offensive linemen or wide receivers that Gettleman and the Giants could invest in with that kind of money, or simply float to Dalvin Tomlinson or Leonard Williams, who each seem more vital to the organization’s upward trajectory than Engram …
2) RG Kevin Zeitler
Kevin Zeitler has been the New York’s most dominant offensive lineman the past two seasons, but he might have played his final game in a Giants uniform.
Zeitler, 30, allowed 28 pressures but just two sacks in 2020, producing a 65.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, as the Giants’ highest-graded offensive lineman. Offensive guard became a bit of a revolving door for the Giants in 2020, but Zeitler played 1,003 total snaps, as one of the line’s veteran anchors.
However, Zeitler’s cap number is set to balloon to $14.5 million in 2021, of which the Giants can clear $12 million off the books while absorbing a $2.5 million dead-money charge.
While rookie Shane Lemieux seemed overmatched last season, if the coaching staff believes Lemieux can take a step forward with the benefit of a full offseason program and full season under his belt, and feels equally comfortable in Will Hernandez or a rookie guard, Zeitler might prove expendable.
1) S Jabrill Peppers
Jabrill Peppers is coming off his finest season as a professional, producing a career-high 91 total tackles with a career-high 2.5 sacks and one interception, but the cap-strapped Giants could move on from the 25-year-old to create spending flexibility in an offseason where resources will be tight.
In his fourth NFL season, and second in a Giants uniform after arriving as part of the Odell Beckham Jr. blockbuster trade in March, 2019, Peppers produced a 64.7 overall grade from Pro Football Focus as quarterbacks produced a 94.1 passer rating when targeting him.
Peppers is set to play under his fifth-year option in 2021, which is not yet fully vested. If the Giants release him prior to March 17 would clear upwards of $6.77 million in cap space off the books. Since the Giants currently have approximately just $1.33 million in cap space, per OverTheCap, moving on from Peppers makes some sense.
Given that the Giants signed veteran defensive back Logan Ryan to a three-year contract worth $31 million, including upwards of $6 million fully guaranteed, on Christmas Day, and believe 2020 second-round pick Xavier McKinney has significant upside, the spending flexibility created by moving on from Peppers might prove more valuable than what he would contribute on the field in 2021 and beyond.
Matt Lombardo is the site expert for GMenHQ, and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday for FanSided. Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattLombardoNFL.