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3 surprise cuts the Giants can make this offseason

By Mike Phillips

Giants General Manager Joe Schoen is shown seconds before introducing the Giants new head coach, Brian Daboll (not shown), in East Rutherford, NJ. Monday, January 31, 2022
Giants General Manager Joe Schoen is shown seconds before introducing the Giants new head coach, Brian Daboll (not shown), in East Rutherford, NJ. Monday, January 31, 2022 /
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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – DECEMBER 27: Inside linebacker Blake Martinez #54 of the New York Giants celebrates a tackle against the Baltimore Ravens during the third quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on December 27, 2020, in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – DECEMBER 27: Inside linebacker Blake Martinez #54 of the New York Giants celebrates a tackle against the Baltimore Ravens during the third quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on December 27, 2020, in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

2. Surprise cuts for the New York Giants – LB Blake Martinez

One of the most painful aspects of Gettleman’s cap management is that his contracts were so bad that it will force Schoen to cut useful players to solve the cap issues. One guy who falls in this category is linebacker Blake Martinez, who was one of the few successful free agent pickups from the previous regime.

Martinez was a defensive anchor for the Giants in 2020, racking up 140 tackles in the first year of his contract. Things didn’t go so well for Martinez in 2021 after he tore his ACL in the third week of the season, ending Martinez’s year after just three games.

That injury is the X-factor here since Martinez is already 28 years old and may not be the same after rehabbing it. Even if Martinez is able to recapture his old form, it may not make sense for a rebuilding Giants’ team to keep paying an aging linebacker who has just one year left on his current contract.

Cutting Martinez now would create $8.5 million in salary-cap space while adding $5.5 million of dead money to the Giants’ books. One scenario that could play out here is the Giants cut Martinez while looking to re-sign him at a lower rate to maintain some continuity on their defense, which has been the team’s strength for the past two years.

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