7 last-minute signings New York Giants could make before training camp

Xavien Howard informed teams back in April that he’s fully cleared to play (foot injury) and would be willing to take a reduced salary to play for a contender. While the Giants aren’t that, perhaps they could entice him another way. Adding a four-time Pro Bowler at a position of need would be a plus.

The Giants are also a favorite to sign him at this point in the offseason.

After selecting Tyler Nubin in the draft, the Giants may very well be finished at the safety position. It’s also become obvious that Schoen doesn’t invest heavily there. But if they’re not comfortable and want a veteran with experience, Justin Simmons is still out there and like Howard, the Giants are among the favorites to sign him.

Stephon Gilmore is another option for the Giants, although he seems destined to return to the Panthers despite their recent stalemate. If those talks fall through and another team like the Kansas City Chiefs don’t swoop in, Schoen might be willing to put in a call at least.

Also, in a continuing trend, the Giants are among the betting favorites to land Gilmore.

If “Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants” has shown us anything, it’s that they want to beef up their interior defensive line next to Dexter Lawrence. Ideally, that iDL would be able to rush the passer but if they settle for a true nose tackle, Bryan Mone could be an under-the-radar option. He missed last season due to a torn ACL (suffered in December of 2022) but is still just 28 years old and would be a low-risk, high-reward type signing.

The Giants seem done with Adoree’ Jackson but the free agent pool is a bit thin, especially if they’re barrel-scraping. If they don’t want to overspend, perhaps they can circle back to a familiar face at a lesser cost.

If the Giants aren’t comfortable with what they have behind Devin Singletary, they could look to reunite with Matt Breida. He knows the system, is familiar with the coaches and players, and has proven to be a good role player throughout his career. He can also play on special teams and even step in as a return man if the team desperately needed it.

Consideration was given to Markus Golden here but Yannick Ngakoue is four years younger and has been more productive over the past three seasons. At this stage of his career, he’s a pure rotational pass rusher but would provide defensive coordinator Shane Bowen with another option if Boogie Bashman and/or Ryder Anderson don’t work out.