Well, we are back here again– same old hopes, same old Giants. In a season that was initially promising after switching to Jaxson Dart, and the running game looked incredible with Cam Skattebo, things went off the rails fast. Skattebo had a season-ending ankle dislocation, Dart was playing recklessly and was getting concussions, and the defense kept on blowing leads in the fourth quarter. It is now December, and the team has since fired Head Coach Brian Daboll and Defensive Coordinator Shane Bowen.
The team resorted to Offensive Coordinator Mike Kafka as the Interim Head Coach, and the team still seems lifeless with a 33-15 thumping on Monday Night Football against the Patriots being the exclamation point. General Manager Joe Schoen now has no more scapegoats to save his job, so now it is back to the drawing board in the offseason, and this is who I think he should replace.
Darius Slayton
I could confidently generalize that when the Giants re-signed Slayton on a 3-year $36 million deal, the fanbase was… underwhelmed. Allocating $12 million to a player who has not even eclipsed 800 yards yet in his career as your WR3 is comical. In hindsight, Wan’dale Robinson should have gotten this money for an extension. Schoen could have signed him for cheap, and now, as of December 2nd, he is ranked in the Top 10 in both receptions and receiving yards. When it comes to replacing Slayton, though, the Giants already have the guy on their roster– Isaiah Hodgins. Hodgins is a fan favorite already, who, in my opinion, is more productive than Slayton. In Hodgins’ three games played, his best statistical game would be ranked fourth compared to Slayton’s production in ten games. He’s also supposed to be cheaper for the cap hit, as he is only around $500,000 this year, which would be significantly better for a WR3 than paying $12 million. Trade him.
Replacement: Isaiah Hodgins
Bobby Okereke
When you think of players who truly succeeded under former DC Wink Martindale, LB Bobby Okereke is one of the first players you think of. Ever since Martindale left and under Shane Bowen’s system, he has been underwhelming. Just watching the Giants defense on TV you can outline Okereke’s missed tackles, poor pass coverage, and overall is just a step behind. Lucky for the Giants, though, there are two linebackers in this free agency that could completely revamp their defense. Devin Lloyd and Devin Bush.
Lloyd to start has probably been one of the best linebackers in the whole league this year. When you want to attribute to the fact that the Jaguars are 8-4 right now, Devin Lloyd deserves a lot of credit. He ranks 3/86 LBs with a PFF grade of 86.7. His pass coverage is also third with a grade of 82.5. The issue is, he is going to be very pricey because of how well he has been playing. Devin Bush on the other hand still is close to the level of production of Lloyd while likely being a more affordable option. Bush, ranks 6/86 LBs with a grade of 84.9 and his run defense(83.6) and pass coverage(75.4) grades are both top 15 at the position at 13th and 9th respectively.
Replacement: Devin Lloyd or Devin Bush
Graham Gano
For a kicker, Graham Gano causes way too many problems for the Giants. Whether it is the phantom groin injuries in pre game warmups that keep him sidelines for a quarter of the season r the missed kicks inside the 40, he just is not suited for the job anymore. It’s also impressive that he has a cap hit of almost $6 million. Joe Schoen should pivot directly into the draft and push hard for selecting kicker Tate Sandell from Oklahoma. Sandell is the definition of efficiency. A FG% of 95.8%, an XP% of 100, his longest FG this season is a 55 yarder. He is 8/9 from the 40-49 and then 7/7 from 50+. That is insane! In 2024, he also 19/23 with all of his kicks being missed beyond the 40. Sandell seems to have solved the long ball issue and the Giants should pounce on the opportunity to get their leg of the future.
Replacement: Tate Sandell
Jon Runyan
With Runyan, it’s not the fact that he has been paying badly, it’s more the fact that for salary cap purposes he should not be on the team. If the Giants and his agents could restructure his contract, or figure out something else financially, I will be very happy. If not, though, he should probably be cut and be replaced by who I believe is the best Left Guard in the 2026 Draft class. Vega Ione is simply a beast. 6’ 4’’ 330 pounds is the build that screams “lineman cornerstone”. He has this rare combination of mass, strength, and surprising mobility that should translate to the professional level. He needs to improve his technicality movement, though, because as a younger, and bigger, guy his timing is slow. As seemingly the only bright spot for the Giants, Offensive Line Coach Carmen Briscillo should be able to transform the already skilled Ione into a stalwart at left guard.
Replacement: Vega Ione