Giants.com is counting down to the start of the team's 2023 training camp with 23 questions in 23 days.
Each day, a member of the crew will answer one question about the roster, coaching staff, schedule, and much more.
23. What have the Giants done to the roster since the end of the 2022 season?
First, let's go back to Joe Schoen's season-ending press conference on Jan. 23, 2023, when the general manager said the following: "There's a talent gap there that we need to close, and to me, it's the NFC East."
While the Giants had their best season since winning their fourth Super Bowl in 2011, one in which they finished 9-7-1 and won a playoff game that led to Brian Daboll being named Coach of the Year, the top brass wasn't going to rest on its laurels. The Giants entered the offseason with a growth mindset and, just as important, a healthier cap situation. But before looking for outside help, they first had to take care of their own house.
View photos of every move made by the Giants during the 2023 cycle.
The moves started with re-signing quarterback Daniel Jones to a four-year contract and placing the non-exclusive franchise tag on Saquon Barkley, which allowed them to continue negotiations for a long-term deal with the running back until the July 17 deadline. The Giants also brought back Pro Bowl defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, outside linebacker Jihad Ward, wide receivers Sterling Shepard, Isaiah Hodgins, and Darius Slayton, and kept the kicking battery intact by re-signing punter Jamie Gillan and long snapper Casey Kreiter. Meanwhile, the team released veteran wide receiver Kenny Golladay and parted ways in free agency with players like safety Julian Love and offensive linemen Nick Gates and Jon Feliciano.
Now let's dive into the additions.
Schoen made one of the biggest trades of the offseason in acquiring dynamic tight end Darren Waller from the Raiders. The Giants wanted to add speed in all three phases and did just that with the arrival of Parris Campbell, who ran a 4.31 40-yard dash at his combine. They also signed his fellow Colts teammate Bobby Okereke to lead the interior linebacker corps. Then they bolstered the defensive line by signing Rakeem Nunez-Roches and A'Shawn Robinson.
The Giants began the draft by selecting cornerback Deonte Banks in the first round, a pick that elicited a bear hug from Martindale that still has Schoen's back hurting. They also selected All-American center John Michael Schmitz and Biletnikoff Award winner Jalin Hyatt among the seven-player class, garnering praise for Schoen and his staff by the media and fans.
"That lasts about two days," Schoen said at the completion of the draft. "You don't win games in April. The social media rankings and everything like that, it's about what we do this fall and how we go out there and compete when it matters and how we continue to build this offseason and get bigger, faster, stronger, through our strength program and then how we prepare and execute in August. I think there's a process. Do I like some of the guys we drafted? Yeah. But still, like Dabs said in this press conference, every year is different, and the team has got to gel and we have got to build chemistry. We have to stay healthy. There's a lot that goes into it."
Tomorrow's question: Which rookies could make fireworks right away?
Get excited for the 2023 season with photos from Media Day at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.