{"id":813694,"date":"2026-03-15T11:57:23","date_gmt":"2026-03-15T11:57:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/813694\/"},"modified":"2026-03-15T11:57:23","modified_gmt":"2026-03-15T11:57:23","slug":"new-york-giants-receive-mixed-grades-after-first-wave-of-free-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/813694\/","title":{"rendered":"New York Giants receive mixed grades after first wave of free agency"},"content":{"rendered":"

March 15, 2026, 7:03 a.m. ET<\/p>\n

After a busy stretch of moves during the NFL’s legal tampering window and the opening week of free agency, the New York Giants<\/a> have significantly reshaped their roster.<\/p>\n

General manager Joe Schoen and head coach John Harbaugh targeted upgrades across multiple positions, adding both proven veterans and intriguing depth pieces as the team looks to rebound in 2026.<\/p>\n

While the full impact of those moves won’t be known for months, analysts across the league have already begun handing out grades.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Here’s how the Giants fared.<\/p>\n

The Giants had a lot of high-priced players coming and going (and mostly going to the Titans). Receiver Wan\u2019Dale Robinson, cornerback Cor\u2019Dale Flott, tight end Daniel Bellinger and center Austin Schlottmann all went to Tennessee. The Giants added tight end Isaiah Likely, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (who is presumably replacing Bobby Okereke), cornerback Greg Newsome II and punter Jordan Stout while retaining right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor. Maybe the losses and gains cancel each other out, but changing a roster that was 13-38 the past three seasons isn\u2019t the worst idea.<\/p>\n

Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.<\/a><\/p>\n

The\u00a0Giants\u00a0could stand to dedicate more resources to offensive line help, even after smartly retaining Eluemunor. Otherwise, John Harbaugh made some nice inroads to improve his team’s roster. Likely is just 25, and though the production has been inconsistent, he has all the tools and has flashed all the skill to be one of the league’s better and more dynamic receiving tight ends. Edmunds is a good add in the middle of the defense, and taking a flier on Newsome isn’t a bad idea. The Giants can continue to support\u00a0Jaxson Dart\u00a0with a wide receiver, and perhaps another cornerback is on the menu, too.<\/p>\n

Also, good on Harbaugh, a special teams guy at heart, for making needed upgrades there.<\/p>\n

As the Harbaughs tend to do, John got busy signing guys who had previously played for him as soon as free agency started. Isaiah Likely is the most notable of the group, but Harbaugh also brought his fullback and punter from Baltimore on multi-year deals. Likely is coming off a disaster season which began with a broken bone in his foot during training camp and never course-corrected. His numbers plummeted to 27 grabs for 307 and one score. Likely appeared to be on the precipice of a breakout for years. I love him as a high-upside flyer, but a $40 million deal is a lot more than flyer material.<\/p>\n

Harbaugh bolstered his defense with Tremaine Edmunds and Greg Newsome. Edmunds is coming off a career year, but I can\u2019t shake the feeling that Devin Bush for $2 million less per season or Devin Lloyd for $3 million more were both better deals. Newsome\u2019s deal is worth \u201cup to\u201d $10 million, which means the base value could be significantly lower. Still only 26 years old, the hope will be that Newsome can regain his early-career form in New York.<\/p>\n

Joe Schoen improved the weaponry for Jaxson Dart a little with Likely and needs more work in the draft after losing Robinson and Bellinger. The Giants kept the needed offensive linemen and invested just OK in versatility and special teams help.<\/p>\n

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