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With the 2022 NFL draft now in the rear view mirror, the next step for New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen is get his picks under contract.
Right now, that may pose as an issue considering the Giants don’t have much cap space left currently.
Salary cap update: Per OTC, the Giants need $12.676 million to fit their rookie class under the Top 51. All together, the first year cap figure, assuming they all make the 53-man roster, will account for $20.431 million.
— Patricia Traina (@Patricia_Traina) April 30, 2022
i believe originally the Giants only needed $12.5 million in funcitonal cap space to sign the 9-member class, so this isn't a big swing.
— Patricia Traina (@Patricia_Traina) April 30, 2022
Over the Cap has the Giants with $5.5 million in cap space. Spotrac has the Giants with $6.6 million in cap space. With either figure, the Giants are still in need of extra cap space to get their rookie class figured out.
Veteran cornerback James Bradberry remains on the roster following the draft despite the Giants actively shopping him. Many thought the team would either trade or release Bradberry back in March, but they haven’t. Yet.
They could still look to either trade or release Bradberry with the draft over. They could also look to restructure his contract — a “contingency plan” as Schoen calls it — and keep him on the roster in 2022.
Sterling Shepard and Blake Martinez both took pay cuts earlier in the offseason to remain on the Giants, but it’s unlikely Bradberry would be willing to do the same. There are also precious few other options on the roster Schoen could exploit for some additional cash.
The gift of Dave Gettleman leaving the Giants with very little cap space after the 2021 season still continues, as Schoen now has to figure out how to get 11 players figured into the salary cap situation for the near future.
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