Matt Citak: The Giants got things started early in the negotiating period as they quickly agreed to a deal with Isaiah Likely. The former Ravens tight end spent his first four seasons with John Harbaugh in Baltimore, catching 135 passes for 1,568 yards and 15 touchdowns across 63 games while serving as the No. 2 target at his position behind Mark Andrews. Likely will now get an opportunity to show what he can do as the top pass-catching tight end in an offense. Joining him from Baltimore is fullback Pat Ricard, who will add brute strength to the run game. Measuring in at 6-foot-3 and 300 pounds, Ricard is one of the only true fullbacks still in the NFL. The 32-year-old played a significant role in the success of the Ravens’ run game over the years, and should boost the efficiency of Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy Jr., Devin Singletary, and the entire run game.
The Giants added a good number of veteran bodies to the wide receiver room, starting with Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III. But it didn’t end there, as Odell Beckham Jr., JuJu Smith-Schuster and Braxton Berrios were all signed during spring practices. It is unlikely all five of these experienced wideouts end up making the 53-man roster, which should make the competition during training camp an intriguing one to watch.
On the other side of the ball, the biggest addition came at the linebacker position with the signing of Tremaine Edmunds. The 6-foot-4, 251-pound Edmunds is an athletic, sideline-to-sideline linebacker who has shown the ability to do a little bit of everything. Edmunds and No. 5 overall pick Arvell Reese should provide the Giants with their most athletic and talented pair of starting inside linebackers in a long time.
The Giants added players on every level of the defense. During free agency, veteran Greg Newsome II was signed to compete for one of the starting outside cornerback spots, along with rookie Colton Hood and the returning Deonte Banks. Meanwhile, Ar’Darius Washington, Jason Pinnock and Elijah Campbell were all added to provide competition at the safety position. Following the trade of Dexter Lawrence in April, the Giants moved quick to bring in a few different veteran defensive linemen, including D.J. Reader, Shelby Harris and Leki Fotu.
It’s safe to say there is no shortage of new faces that seem likely to play big roles for the Giants this season on both sides of the ball.