The NFL set the salary cap for the 2022 season at $208.2 million per team, an increase of $25.7 million from last year's cap of $182.5 million. The league decreased the 2021 threshold due to the COVID-19 pandemic after a steady annual increase of at least $10 million.
General manager Joe Schoen has been open about the Giants' need to get in better shape regarding the cap, a process that included the release of veteran tight end Kyle Rudolph and running back Devontae Booker.
"We've got to have contingency plans and kind of the 'if/then' scenarios," Schoen said last week at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. "We went through a lot of those. If we don't get to where we have money that we can do something in free agency, then it's going to be hard. Again, back to my introductory press conference, we want to be competitive today and also build for tomorrow. I think if we're able to do this the right way, I think there's a real possibility that we're going to be able to do that."
The 2022 league year and free agency period begin at 4 p.m. ET on March 16. It follows a two-day period when clubs are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with, the certified agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents. No prospective unrestricted free agent is permitted to execute a contract with a new club until the new league year begins.
The Giants currently have 22 pending unrestricted free agents, three restricted free agents, and five exclusive rights free agents.
Unrestricted Free Agents (22)
- WR C.J. Board
- LB Lorenzo Carter
- CB Keion Crossen
- OT Korey Cunningham
- S Nate Ebner
- TE Evan Engram
- QB Mike Glennon
- G Will Hernandez
- DL Austin Johnson
- LS Casey Kreiter
- LB Benardrick McKinney
- FB Elijhaa Penny
- S Jabrill Peppers
- WR Dante Pettis
- OL Billy Price
- LB Reggie Ragland
- WR John Ross
- DL Danny Shelton
- OL Matt Skura
- LB Jaylon Smith
- OT Nate Solder
- TE Levine Toilolo
Restricted Free Agents (3)
- FB Cullen Gillaspia
- DB Joshua Kalu
- DB Steven Parker
Exclusive Rights Free Agents (5)
- QB Jake Fromm
- OL Kyle Murphy
- DB J.R. Reed
- WR David Sills
- DB Jarren Williams
NFL.com updated its rankings of the top 101 players set to become free agents on March 16.


No. 101: QB Andy Dalton

No. 100 ILB Jayon Brown

No. 99: DT Harrison Phillips (Update: Phillips has agreed to a multi-year contract with the Vikings)

No. 98: OLB Leighton Vander Esch

No. 97: G Andrew Norwell

No. 96: OLB Dante Fowler Jr.

No. 95: CB Joe Haden

No. 94: OT Riley Reiff

No. 93: EDGE Lorenzo Carter

No. 92: RB Raheem Mostert

No. 91: LB Dont'a Hightower

No. 90: DB P.J. Williams

No. 89: DT Larry Ogunjobi (Update: Ogunjobi has agreed to a deal with the Bears)

No. 88: TE Zach Ertz (Update: Ertz has agreed to a new multi-year contract with the Cardinals)

No. 87: QB Marcus Mariota

No. 86: CB Kevin King

No. 85: S Xavier Woods (Update: Woods has agreed to a multi-year contract with the Panthers)

No. 84: P Bryan Anger

No. 83: CB Charvarius Ward (Update: Ward has agreed to a multi-year contract with the 49ers)

No. 82: G Austin Corbett (Update: Corbett has agreed to a multi-year contract with the Panthers)

No. 81: S Devin McCourty (Update: McCourty has agreed to a new contract with the Patriots)

No. 80: S Tracy Walker (Update: Walker has agreed to a new multi-year contract with the Lions)

No. 79: OT Morgan Moses (Update: Moses agreed to a multi-year contract with the Ravens)

No. 78: RB Chase Edmonds (Update: Edmonds has agreed to a multi-year contract with the Dolphins)

No. 77: LB Foye Oluokun (Update: Olukun has agreed to a multi-year contract with the Jaguars)

No. 76: WR Jamison Crowder

No. 75: CB Patrick Peterson

No. 74: DL Ndamukong Suh

No. 73: DT Sheldon Richardson

No. 72: TE O.J. Howard (Update: Howard has agreed to a contract with the Bills)

No. 71: DL B.J. Hill (Update: Hill has agreed to a new multi-year contract with the Bengals)

No. 70: DL Sebastian Joseph-Day (Update: Joseph-Day has agreed to a contract with the Chargers)

No. 69: EDGE Uchenna Nwosu (Update: Nwosu has agreed to a multi-year contract with the Seahawks)

No. 68: EDGE Arden Key

No. 67: LB Kyzir White

No. 66: CB Donte Jackson

No. 65: S Jayron Kearse

No. 64: EDGE Derek Barnett

No. 63: RB Melvin Gordon

No. 62: RB Leonard Fournette

No. 61: CB Casey Hayward

No. 60: S Jordan Whitehead (Update: Whitehead has agreed to a multi-year contract with the Jets)

No. 59: RB Rashaad Penny

No. 58: EDGE Justin Houston

No. 57: S Justin Reid (Update: Reid has agreed to a multi-year contract with the Chiefs)

No. 56: DT Foley Fatukasi (Update: Fatukasi has agreed to a multi-year contract with the Jaguars)

No. 55: WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling

No. 54: OLB Anthony Barr

No. 53: S DeShon Elliott

No. 52: RB James Conner (Update: Conner has agreed to a new multi-year deal with the Cardinals)

No. 51: WR D.J. Chark (Update: Chark has agreed to a contract with the Lions)

No. 50: G Alex Cappa (Update: Cappa has agreed to a multi-year contract with the Bengals)

No. 49: CB Bryce Callahan

No. 48: CB Rasul Douglas

No. 47: DL Bilal Nichols

No. 46: G Connor Williams (Update: Williams has agreed to a multi-year contract with the Dolphins)

No. 45: OT Eric Fisher

No. 44: WR Will Fuller V

No. 43: G Laken Tomlinson (Update: Tomlinson agreed to a multi-year contract with the Jets)

No. 42: TE Evan Engram (Update: Engram has agreed to a contract with the Jaguars)

No. 41: RB/WR Cordarrelle Patterson

No. 40: CB Darious Williams (Update: Williams has agreed to a multi-year contract with the Jaguars)

No. 39: WR Christian Kirk (Update: Kirk has agreed to a multi-year contract with the Jaguars)

No. 38: CB D.J. Reed (Update: Reed has agreed to a multi-year contract with the Jets)

No. 37: OT Trent Brown

No. 36: WR JuJu Smith-Schuster

No. 35: C Ben Jones (Update: Jones has agreed to a new multi-year contract with the Titans)

No. 34: WR Russell Gage (Update: Gage has agreed to a contract with the Buccaneers)

No. 33: C Bradley Bozeman

No. 32: S Marcus Maye (Update: Maye has agreed to a multi-year contract with the Saints)

No. 31: DL Akiem Hicks

No. 30: S Quandre Diggs (Update: Diggs has agreed to a new multi-year deal with the Seahawks)

No. 29: EDGE Jerry Hughes

No. 28: DT D.J. Jones (Update: Jones has agreed to a multi-year contract with the Broncos)

No. 27: QB Teddy Bridgewater (Update: Bridgewater has agreed to a contract with the Dolphins)

No. 26: OT Joe Noteboom (Update: Noteboom has agreed to a new multi-year contract with the Rams)

No. 25: TE Rob Gronkowski

No. 24: EDGE Melvin Ingram

No. 23: EDGE Haason Reddick (Update: Reddick has agreed to a multi-year contract with the Eagles)

No. 22: G James Daniels (Update: Daniels has agreed to a multi-year contract with the Steelers)

No. 21: DL Calais Campbell

No. 20: WR Michael Gallup (Update: Gallup has agreed to a new multi-year contract with the Cowboys)

No. 19: LB De'Vondre Campbell (Update: Campbell has agreed to a new multi-year contract with the Packers)

No. 18: EDGE Jadeveon Clowney

No. 17: LB Bobby Wagner

No. 16: EDGE Randy Gregory (Update: Gregory has agreed to a multi-year contract with the Broncos)

No. 15: QB Jameis Winston

No. 14: OT Duane Brown

No. 13: CB Stephon Gilmore

No. 12: C Ryan Jensen (Update: Jensen has agreed to a new multi-year deal with the Buccaneers)

No. 11: WR Odell Beckham Jr.

No. 10: G Brandon Scherff (Update: Scherff agreed to a multi-year deal with the Jaguars)

No. 9: EDGE Emmanuel Ogbah (Update: Ogbah has agreed to a new multi-year contract with the Dolphins)

No. 8: WR Allen Robinson

No. 7: S Marcus Williams (Update: Williams has agreed to a multi-year contract with the Ravens)

No. 6: S Tyrann Mathieu

No. 5: EDGE Chandler Jones (Update: Jones has agreed to a multi-year contract with the Raiders)

No. 4: CB Carlton Davis (Update: Davis has agreed to a new multi-year contract with the Buccaneers)

No. 3: EDGE Von Miller (Update: Miller has agreed to a multi-year contract with the Bills)

No. 2: CB J.C. Jackson (Update: Jackson has agreed to a multi-year contract with the Chargers)

No. 1: OT Terron Armstead
