INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — New York Giants coach John Harbaugh said Tuesday that the team wants free agents Jermaine Eluemunor, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Cor’Dale Flott back in 2026. The question will be whether they have the resources to make that happen.
“All guys that we want back,” said Harbaugh at the NFL Scouting Combine. “You want the guys back. Now it’s, OK, do we have the wherewithal to bring them back? Is it a good use of resources, which is the cap?
“That’s part of the planning that has been taking
place. Then we’ll learn more about [that] this week when we find out what the real values are, what’s realistic.”
Harbaugh, of course, was referring to the fact that with NFL decision-makers and player agents in Indianapolis for the Combine many of the meetings that set price tags and lead to free agency decisions take place this week.
The Giants currently have just $5.147 million in cap space based on an estimated $303.5 million salary cap for the upcoming season, per Over The Cap. They are $4.951 over the cap when money they will need to sign this year’s rookie class is factored in.
General manager Joe Schoen said decisions on cap cuts, restructures and any other measures needed to create cap space have not yet been determined.
“We’ll get an idea what the values are for some of our UFAs and what type of room we’re going to need and then how we’re going to approach that,” Schoen said.
How much cap room would Schoen like to create?
“As much as we need,” Schoen said. “It depends what we need.”
Schoen has been adamant in recent months that the Giants, despite the seemingly low projected cap space amount, have the flexibility to do what they need to in terms of creating cap space. That theory is about to be tested.
Potential free agent values for players varies depending on what source you want to use. Truthfully, those estimate probably mean nothing. For discussion purposes, though, they give us a baseline.
The Athletic estimates that Eluemunor, the Giants’ starting right tackle, will have a market value around two years and $42 million, $21 million per year. Robinson, a slot receiver with back-to-back 90-catch seasons, is estimated to have a market value of three years, $48 million. Flott, coming off a breakout year at cornerback, is estimated to have a market value of three years, $22.5 million.
Whether the Giants can find the resources to re-sign those players and attack the free agent market to fill other needs remains to be seen.
