Jordan RaananMar 6, 2026, 06:00 AM ET

CloseJordan Raanan covers the New York Giants for ESPN and can be heard hosting on ESPN Radio. Raanan joined ESPN in 2016.

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — There is a new head coach for the New York Giants and with that comes some new schemes and preferences.

The Giants have to reshape their roster to coach John Harbaugh’s desires. What that will look like when they’re done with the first wave of NFL free agency next week could surprise some. Perhaps that means the signing of running back Kenneth Walker III or Travis Etienne Jr. Or guard Wyatt Teller and defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers. Anything is possible.

The Giants already released starting middle linebacker and defensive captain Bobby Okereke earlier this week. It was the first notable move but certainly not the last.

Certain players the previous coach preferred in his scheme might not ideally fit what Harbaugh and his new staff are looking for. Or if, say, the Giants were to upgrade at center in free agency it could mean 2023 second-round pick John Michael Schmitz Jr. moves elsewhere. Hypothetically, of course.

Just about anything is on the table as the Giants enter this year’s free agency — including potentially signing Walker, the Super Bowl LX MVP, to their backfield. That is a move the team has looked into, multiple league sources told ESPN.

The Seahawks are interested in retaining Walker. There also are other suitors. So it’s hardly a lock that Walker or any other high-end running back ends up in New York. Travis Etienne Jr. and Rico Dowdle are other options. Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love impressed the Giants at last week’s combine, according to multiple league sources.

Just about anything is on the table as the Giants enter this year’s free agency — including potentially signing Kenneth Walker III, the Super Bowl LX MVP, to their backfield. AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

What all this interest does portend with Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy Jr. on the roster is that the Giants are open to moves that most didn’t see coming. Simultaneously, they plan to become a more physical, run-focused team.

It makes sense considering this is what the Ravens were under Harbaugh in Baltimore. Expect the Giants to focus on their lines, run game and run defense in free agency. A market-setting deal for former Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum is even possible, although unlikely given the steep contract price and presence of Schmitz.

It doesn’t appear to be Linderbaum or bust for the Giants. They are going to address the offensive line regardless. The Giants have expressed interest in Teller, formerly of the Cleveland Browns, and other guards, according to a league source. Established veterans such as Dylan Parham and Alijah Vera-Tucker are other run-blocking options expected in the mix.

There also remains a possibility that right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor is re-signed. The two sides have remained in contact and Eluemunor is open to a return, team sources told ESPN.

But Eluemunor is expected to draw strong attention as perhaps the best pass-blocking tackle available. The Giants are still believed to be in the mix but contract price certainly matters.

This is probably the last time Eluemunor, 31, will get a chance at this type of payday. Teams such as the Arizona Cardinals, Browns and Kansas City Chiefs are seeking offensive tackles. That is expected to get Eluemunor a deal somewhere in the high teens per season after a two-year, $14 million deal as a free agent two years ago.

“Just need two teams,” one NFL executive said. “Offensive line is a premium.”

Eluemunor isn’t the only Giants free agent set to make some money next week. Wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson and cornerback Cor’Dale Flott join him as their top free agents. Last week Harbaugh recalled what he saw when he went back and watched tape of those three.

“Yeah, the bottom line is I saw all guys that we want back,” he said. “So you want the guys back now because, OK, do we have the wherewithal to bring them back and is it a good use of the resources, which is the cap? So that’s the next part of the conversation and that’s part of the planning that’s been taking place. And then we’ll learn more about this week when we find out really kind of what the real values are, what’s realistic.”

For Robinson it appears to be in the range of $15 million per season, slightly more than Buffalo slot receiver Khalil Shakir received in a new deal last year. That appears to be too rich for the Giants given what they’re going to demand from their slot receiver in their new offense. The Tennessee Titans with former coach Brian Daboll as their offensive coordinator appear to be the front-runner for Robinson, who is coming off a 1,000-yard season and led all NFL wide receivers with 622 yards out of the slot.

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Flott is a bit more of a mystery. He’s coming off a strong season in coverage in which his targeted EPA of minus-12.7 against him was eighth among all outside corners with at least 200 coverage snaps. It put Flott, 24, directly ahead of All-Pro Derek Stingley Jr. and A.J. Terrell Jr.

Impressive company. But Flott is also an acquired taste at 175 pounds. It might not be an ideal fit for a Giants defense focused on improving their ability to stop the run.

The Giants will need to improve their secondary, but their interest in trading for Trent McDuffie with the Chiefs was overblown. They’re not looking at high-end cornerbacks after signing Paulson Adebo last offseason and with only two top-100 picks in this year’s draft. Signing a physical proven corner such as Tampa Bay’s Jamel Dean (6-1, 206) makes a lot more sense.

It doesn’t mean the Giants won’t add to the secondary with safety Dane Belton likely to leave in free agency. That will leave a significant special teams void. Former Raven Ar’Darius Washington is a name to watch in that regard. Ohio State’s Caleb Downs is someone to watch in the draft.

The Giants will invest more in their defense. Multiple league sources expect outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux and his almost $15 million salary to eventually be moved. That money can then be reallocated to others in their defensive front, whether it be middle linebacker or defensive line.

It’s expected the Giants will add another significant interior defensive lineman in free agency. They have some interest in Franklin-Myers, although his contract price in the $20 million range could be steep. David Onyemata, DJ Reader and Sebastian Joseph-Day are also options.

At middle linebacker the plan after cutting Okereke appears to be adding a veteran via free agency or trade and still potentially the draft. In addition, the Giants are interested in re-signing inside linebacker Micah McFadden.

McFadden, who sat out almost all of last season because of a foot injury, could return on a one-year, prove-it deal. But he has multiple suitors.