The New York Giants just wrapped a 4-13 season that felt like a slow-motion car crash. Fans are tired. They're exhausted by the "bridge year" talk and the constant shuffling of the offensive line. But as we sit here in January 2026, the focus has shifted entirely to the front office. Joe Schoen is currently navigating a coaching search—with John Harbaugh’s name floating around like a savior—but the real story of how we got here lies in the recent n.y.giants free agent signings and whether those checks actually bought any wins.
It wasn't just about spending money; it was about trying to fix specific, gaping holes. Some worked. Some definitely didn't.
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Honestly, looking back at the 2025 cycle, the Giants tried to be aggressive. They handed out some massive contracts that are now weighing heavy on the 2026 cap. Remember the Paulson Adebo deal? Three years, $54 million. That’s a lot of scratch for a guy coming off a broken leg. People questioned it then, and they’re definitely questioning it now after a season where the secondary still felt like a sieve at times.
The Big Money Bets: Jevon Holland and Paulson Adebo
When you lose a guy like Xavier McKinney to the Packers, you've gotta do something. Schoen didn't just do "something"—he went out and snagged Jevon Holland from the Dolphins on a three-year, $45.3 million contract. It was a splash. A huge one.
Holland was supposed to be the glue. Pairing him with Tyler Nubin sounded like a dream on paper. In reality? The defense struggled with consistency. Holland played over 3,500 snaps in his first four years, so the experience was there, but the Giants' defensive scheme under the previous staff didn't always maximize his range.
Then there’s Adebo. $36 million guaranteed is "shutdown corner" money. While Adebo had his moments, the regression of younger guys like Deonte Banks and Dru Phillips meant Adebo was often left on an island with no help. It's a classic Giants scenario: you fix one leak, and two more spring up in the basement.
Recent 2025/2026 Transaction List (The Paper Trail)
- Paulson Adebo (CB): 3 years, $54 million.
- Jevon Holland (S): 3 years, $45.3 million.
- Darius Slayton (WR): Re-signed for 3 years, $36 million.
- Chauncey Golston (DL): 3 years, $19.5 million.
- James Hudson III (OT): 2 years, $12 million.
- Roy Robertson-Harris (DL): 2 years, $9 million.
- Jameis Winston (QB): 2 years, $8 million.
The Quarterback Room: Winston and the Russell Wilson Experiment
Let’s talk about the Jameis Winston signing. It was a two-year deal worth $8 million. Cheap? Kinda. But it signaled that the team wasn't ready to fully commit to a rookie or Daniel Jones for the long haul. Winston is what he’s always been: a strong arm and a lot of interceptions. He’s one of only nine players in history to throw for 5,000 yards in a season, but in East Rutherford, he was mostly a high-end insurance policy that we ended up needing.
And Russell Wilson? Yeah, that happened. A one-year, $10.5 million deal that felt like a "last gasp" move. It didn't provide the spark anyone hoped for. Now, as the 2026 offseason begins, the Giants are looking at a roster where the veteran leadership they paid for didn't translate to the win column.
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Why the Trenches Still Feel Weak
You'd think after years of high draft picks and free agent flyers, the offensive line would be settled. It’s not. Signing Greg Van Roten back on a one-year, $3.25 million deal was a "safe" move because he didn't miss a snap the year prior. But "safe" doesn't win divisions.
They also brought in Stone Forsythe and James Hudson III to compete for swing tackle spots. Hudson got $12 million over two years. That’s a decent chunk of change for a guy who ended up playing sparingly. When you look at the n.y.giants free agent signings in the trenches, it feels like a lot of "B-minus" players being asked to play like "A" students.
Defensive Depth or Just More Bodies?
On the defensive side, Roy Robertson-Harris and Jeremiah Ledbetter were brought in to beef up the rotation. Ledbetter signed for about $1.775 million. These aren't bad moves—Ledbetter is a solid 3-technique—but when your star defensive linemen like Dexter Lawrence are carrying a $27 million cap hit in 2026, you need these cheap signings to play way above their pay grade.
The 2026 "Futures" and What's Next
We just saw a flurry of "Reserve/Future" signings earlier this month. Names like Swayze Bozeman, Trace Ford, and Patrick McMorris.
Bozeman is an interesting case. He’s a special teams ace who survived the "linebacker injury bug" of 2025 to earn another look. Trace Ford is that classic "undersized pass rusher" (6-foot-2, 250 lbs) who flashes in the preseason but struggles against NFL-sized tackles. These aren't the signings that sell jerseys, but they're the ones that fill out a 90-man roster in the spring.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that the Giants are "one or two players away." They aren't. They spent nearly $100 million on Holland and Adebo alone, and the team got worse. The issue isn't just the talent; it's the lack of a cohesive identity.
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Offseason
If you're tracking the Giants' moves this spring, here is what actually matters:
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- Watch the "Dead Money": If they move on from guys like Kayvon Thibodeaux (who is set to earn $15 million guaranteed) or even Daniel Jones, the cap hit will be astronomical. Free agency success in 2026 depends entirely on how they navigate these existing contracts.
- The Wan'Dale Robinson Factor: He's a free agent. He had a 1,000-yard season with Jaxson Dart throwing him the ball. But with Malik Nabers needing targets, do you pay Wan'Dale $15-20 million? Probably not. Expect a new face in the slot.
- Coaching Synergy: Any new signing—like the rumored interest in more secondary help—is meaningless until we know if John Harbaugh (or whoever takes the whistle) actually wants them in the building.
- Prioritize the Swing Tackle: The James Hudson experiment wasn't a total failure, but the Giants need a legitimate starter opposite Andrew Thomas if they want their next QB to survive.
The n.y.giants free agent signings over the last 24 months show a team trying to buy its way out of a rebuild. It didn't work. Now, with a potential coaching overhaul and a massive cap crunch looming, the 2026 free agency period won't be about "splashing"—it'll be about surviving. Keep an eye on the waiver wire and those small, one-year "prove it" deals. That's where the real roster building will happen this year.