Roster-building never really ends for NFL teams, even in the heat of summer when players are away and practice fields are ghost towns.
The New York Giants have done a lot this offseason, remaking their defense and special teams, adding several wide receivers who will compete for jobs, and remaking their defensive and offensive lines.
Still, there is always more that could be done. Is there ONE move the Giants could, or should, make to upgrade their roster before training camp begins in late July?
NFL.com
recently revisited its list of the top 101 free agents who entered the offseason. Eleven of those players remain unsigned. They are:
- DE Joey Bosa
- WR Stefon Diggs
- WR Deebo Samuel
- G Kevin Zeitler
- Edge Haasan Reddick
- TE Darren Waller
- CB Trevon Diggs
- Edge Kyle Van Noy
- QB Jimmy Garoppolo
- OT Taylor Decker
- Edge Jadeveon Clowney
From that list, is there a player you would like to see in a Giants’ jersey when training camp opens in West Virginia?
For me, there are four possibilities. Let’s go through them.
Stefon Diggs
NFL Media’s Gregg Rosenthal writes:
Still an excellent route runner and third-down option, Diggs would have been initially ranked higher as a short-term play if not for his then-pending legal matter. Recently, he’s been found not guilty and won’t be disciplined by the NFL, opening the door for a potential signing.
The Giants added two wide receivers — Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III — early in free agency. They added three more — Odell Beckham Jr., JuJu Smith-Schuster, Braxton Berrios — at the beginning of June.
Diggs, who turns 33 in November, is clearly better than any of them.
Whatever you think of Diggs’ legal issues, he has been cleared and is eligible to sign. The rash of signings a few weeks ago suggests the Giants are concerned they might not have enough at wide receiver.
Diggs caught 85 passes for 1,013 yards for the New England Patriots a year ago. The only time Diggs has not surpassed 1,000 receiving yards was 2024, when he played in just eight games. He would be WR2 for the Giants behind Nabers no matter who else is on the roster. No player on this list would help Jaxson Dart more than Diggs.
How likely is it that the Giants would sign Diggs? Not very, to be honest. The Giants are likely on the upswing, but at this point in his career Diggs is a mercenary looking for the team that gives him the best shot at a Super Bowl ring. In 2026, that is probably not the Giants.
Deebo Samuel
Rosenthal writes:
Deebo looked like his old self in Washington for stretches. His burst seems to come and go these days, so a role with reduced snaps could maximize his impact.
Again, we return to the argument I just made with Diggs. Samuel is not as good as Diggs. He isn’t as dynamic or multi-talented as he was during his prime with the San Francisco 49ers. Still, he caught 72 passes last season, the second-most in his career, for more than 700 yards. He, like Diggs, would be WR2 for the Giants behind Nabers.
Also like Diggs, this is a move I don’t see as likely.
Trevon Diggs
The Giants drafted Colton Hood in Round 2, and I wouldn’t look at Diggs, younger brother of Stefon, as a player I would sign expecting him to stand in the way of Hood’s development. If Hood earns the reps opposite Paulson Adebo, he should get them. And I believe he will.
Thing is, the Giants have two reclamation projects — Greg Newsome and Deonte Banks — competing with Hood for the starting job opposite Adebo.
The upside with Diggs, who turns 28 in September, is higher than with either Newsome or Banks. Diggs’ 11-interception All-Pro season with the Dallas Cowboys came way back in 2021, but it happened.
Diggs has played in just 22 games over the past three seasons due to injuries, the most severe of which was a left ACL tear in 2023.
Most likely, Diggs is not ever going to approach that 2021 season again. The real question is whether Diggs would be an upgrade over Newsome or Banks. Diggs would likely be available for a veteran minimum deal.
Kyle Van Noy
The Giants don’t “need” another edge defender. They have Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux. If needed, Chauncey Golston can fill in at the position.
Van Noy, though, is interesting. He played for John Harbaugh in Baltimore from 2023-2025. Yes, he is 35, but he is just one season removed from his best NFL season, a 12.5-sack Pro Bowl season in 2024.
In a 12-year career, Van Noy has 57.0 sacks. He has started 115 of 173 regular-season games.
Would you rather have Van Noy on the 53-man roster rather than someone like Darius Muasau, Zaire Barnes, or Khalid Kareem? I would.
Van Noy would be terrific depth and another veteran on defense who could help Arvell Reese and help the Giants understand Harbaugh.
One other note. Van Noy would be a good guy to have around if the Giants decided to trade Kayvon Thibodeaux at the midseason NFL trade deadline.
