EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The moment the final whistle blew at the New York Giants season finale a few weeks back, a reset began.
The following day, general manager Joe Schoen stepped to the podium and declared the next four months would be spent upgrading the roster via free agency and the draft.
The Giants have the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. They have seven picks (one in each of the first five rounds and two in the seventh) and are projected to add a fourth-round compensatory selection for losing safety Xavier McKinney last year in free agency. They'll get nothing in return for running Saquon Barkley because of the cost of their 2024 free agent additions.
Schoen and Co. also are $53 million under the salary cap this offseason heading into free agency, according to the Roster Management System. That is a pretty good number, 12th in the NFL.
So there is money and draft capital at their disposal for a roster that needs help ... everywhere. The Giants just finished a 3-14 campaign that exposed every weakness.
Nowhere is the need to upgrade more glaring than the quarterback position. Daniel Jones is gone, Drew Lock and Tim Boyle free agents, and only Tommy DeVito (exclusive rights free agent) is expected to return.
"That's obviously the number one issue for us going into this offseason, is to find our quarterback of the future," owner John Mara said. "Whether that be via the draft or acquiring a veteran, it's going to be up to [Schoen and coach Brian Daboll] to decide, ultimately."
With free agency in March and the draft at the end of April, the Giants will need to add a veteran quarterback in free agency. Some of the top options are Sam Darnold (whom they liked last offseason), Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson, Jimmy Garoppolo and Justin Fields.
In the draft, Colorado's Shedeur Sanders and Miami's Cam Ward are expected to be the top QB options. The Giants have done extensive work on both. There was a belief during the season that they were high on Sanders. Alabama's Jalen Milroe, Texas' Quinn Ewers and Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart appear to be the next tier of quarterbacks in the draft.
The trade avenue could also be an option. The future of Derek Carr in New Orleans is one that could come into question. Nothing should be ruled out.
"We've done a lot of work on the college guys. John [Mara] mentioned earlier that we'll look at free agency," Schoen said. "We can also look throughout the draft, potential trade opportunities. We'll look at any avenue we can to upgrade the position."
There is more than just the quarterback position that must be addressed. Mara highlighted his disappointment in the defense and the need for depth on the offensive line.
The defensive line is also desperately in need of depth, and the secondary must be remade.
The Giants will eventually need more offensive playmakers with wide receiver Darius Slayton their most notable unrestricted free agent. It seems unlikely he will return considering he was unhappy with his contract and overall situation last summer.
Starting safety Jason Pinnock, outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari and defensive back Isaiah Simmons are the other most notable free agents. These are all decisions that will have to be made in the next few months.
In the meantime, Daboll has tweaked his staff. Defensive pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson and safeties coach Mike Treier were fired. Marquand Manuel was hired as the new defensive backs coach.
There could be more departures. Assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka is still in the running for the New Orleans Saints head coaching job. He is under contract with the Giants for another season and is expected to return if that doesn't pan out. If Kafka leaves, the Giants will receive a future compensatory pick because Kafka would be a minority hire. Kafka is of Puerto Rican descent.
But the Giants do prefer continuity. Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen is expected to stay after his name was linked to new Patriots coach Mike Vrabel during the interview process.
"As you're talking to these [players] ... you realize how hard it is to learn some of these new systems. You've got young guys that are getting their feet wet that are just finally starting to feel comfortable in the systems now. So, I do think it's important," Schoen said. "This is hard and it takes time. I think the continuity factor is important. Hopefully we see that come to fruition in 2025."
The Giants remain an advocate of having their coaches involved in college all-star games. Kafka will be the head coach of the National team at the Senior Bowl while running backs coach Joel Thomas serves as the offensive coordinator of the American team. Bowen will coach the West team with Sanders at quarterback in the East-West Shrine Bowl, while inside linebackers coach John Egorugwu is the West's defensive coordinator.
Schoen has talked in the past as viewing this as an advantage. Their coaches get to work directly with prospects, which perhaps gives them a better idea of the kind of person they are or what makes them tick.
The Giants are big on touch points, the number of times they can get in front of a prospect, whether it be at a college all-star game, the scouting combine or in the predraft process. Passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney got to work with tight end Theo Johnson last year at the Senior Bowl. Kafka saw running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. at the Shrine Bowl. Johnson was the Giants' fourth-round pick and Tracy their fifth-round selection.
It might only be January, but the process of reshaping the roster has begun.