There will be no shortage of wide receivers for the There will be no shortage of wide receivers for the New York Giants to target in the draft and free agency as they to target in the draft and free agency as they attempt to add playmakers to their lineup this offseason. Free agency would be the best option to add some experience to the roster, even though selecting a wide receiver in the first round could be an exciting approach to add some fresh potential to the offence.
The Giants are a top landing location for Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., according to Pro Football Focus. Pittman, who is regarded as one of the best players available this year, would be a huge addition for the G-Men. But are they really capable of pulling this off?
Giants listed as a top landing spot for Michael Pittman Jr.
The Giants were recently ranked by Brad Spielberger of PFF as one of Pittman’s top three free agency landing spots:
Spielberger stated, “Darren Waller, a tight end for New York that was acquired last offseason with a third-round pick, may already be a bust due to his inability to control a hamstring nerve issue.” “Get Daniel Jones a big target on the outside, please. The Giants have plenty of speed and slot receivers.”
As of this summer, Pittman is regarded as the 11th best free agent by PFF. He is rated as the second-best wide receiver available, only inferior to Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins.
What would Pittman bring to the Giants?
The 6-foot-4, 223-pound wide receiver Pittman has exceeded 1,000 receiving yards in two of his four seasons as a professional. In each of the previous three seasons, he has scored at least four touchdowns and crossed the 900-yard mark.
Pittman set career highs in receiving yards (1,152) and catches (109) in 2023. He also added four touchdowns to the score. In his four years in the NFL, Pittman has established himself as the Colts’ offense’s top wide receiver and grown into a spectacular receiving threat. He could provide the Giants’ receiving corps—which is now devoid of all three—size, reliability, and explosion.
Could the Giants afford to sign Pittman?
The cost of Pittman, though, will be a barrier to acquisition. According to Spotrac, he has an estimated market value of $22.7 million based on his average yearly pay and an anticipated deal worth $90.8 million over four years.
The Giants, who now have just $14 million in effective salary budget space to spend after adding at least 51 players plus their expected rookie class to their roster, would have a difficult time fitting a contract like that under the books.
General manager Joe Schoen would need to release a number of large contracts, including those of Darius Slayton, Mark Glowinski, and Darren Waller, in order to make room for Pittman. Then, in order to create more cap space, certain significant deals would need to be restructured. Additionally, Pittman’s contract would have to be backloaded, which would result in significant cap hits that the front office would have to worry about in upcoming seasons.
It’s possible that signing Pittman wasn’t the best financial move. The Giants’ offence would benefit greatly from his game-changing potential, but their inability to shop at the top of the market this offseason will be hampered by their salary cap constraints. This is probably going to lead to the
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