Giants: 3 players that could be traded before the regular season

The New York Giants just pulled off a stunning trade for veteran linebacker Isaiah Simmons on Thursday afternoon. Trades are bound to happen as teams prepare for the upcoming 2023 season, trimming their rosters down to 53 men. After being on the receiving end of a player trade, the Giants could soon consider trading away some of their own players ahead of roster cutdowns.

Bleacher Report suggests the Giants trade a veteran safety

After starting S Julian Love departed in free agency this offseason, the Giants needed to add depth at the position. One of the defensive backs they added was 30-year-old Bobby McCain. After totaling 76 combined tackles with Washington last season, McCain signed with Big Blue as a versatile defensive back that could aid in replacing the production left behind by Love. But with the rise of Jason Pinnock in the starting lineup and Dane Belton right behind him, McCain’s security on this team is in doubt.

Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine recently wrote an article listing one trade that each NFL team should propose before the regular season. For the Giants, Ballentine wrote that New York should trade McCain to the Las Vegas Raiders.

“[McCain is] a veteran who could help someone as a rotational safety, but with Xavier McKinney, Jason Pinnock, and Dane Belton forming a fine trio, it’s hard to see a role for McCain,” Ballentine writes. “The Raiders, on the other hand, could use an insurance policy if Tre’Von Moehrig can’t step up in Year 3. McCain could slot in alongside free-agent addition Marcus Epps.”

Making room in the receiving corps

The Giants currently have 12 wide receivers on their roster ahead of the final preseason game. Typically, NFL teams carry only up to six wide receivers on the regular season rosters. The Giants, however, could end up holding up to eight receivers because of how many players they currently have at the position. 

Regardless, New York will need to make room on the roster, inevitably parting ways with a slew of receivers on cut day. One player, however, that the Giants could try to trade, rather than cut, is veteran WR Jamison Crowder.

Crowder signed with Big Blue this off-season to contribute as an experienced veteran out of the slot. He has looked good in that role this summer, however, Sterling Shepard and Cole Beasley are both likely to take the roster spot away from Crowder. 

Rather than releasing Crowder, New York could find a team somewhere around the league looking for experience at the receiver position and attempt to trade him away for a conditional draft pick. Considering his age (30), New York would likely not get much in return for Crowder. However, getting something would be better than getting nothing by placing him on the waiver wire.

Clearing cap at cornerback

Another position that the Giants need to trim down is cornerback. One player stands out in the secondary as having a far larger cap hit than what he is worth. That player is slot CB Darnay Holmes. 

The idea of releasing Holmes has been brought up rather frequently this summer. Cutting Holmes would save the Giants $2.74 million in salary cap space. But, rather than releasing Holmes to free up space, New York could attempt to trade him and get a draft pick out of him, too.

Trading Holmes would free up the same $2.74 million as cutting him (unless the Giants take on a portion of the contract in the trade). With Holmes’ future in doubt, it would be wise for Big Blue to get a future draft pick in while shipping him out.