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Why The New York Giants Won’t Use The Franchise Tag
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- Why The New York Giants Won’t Use The Franchise Tag
The NFL franchise tag window opened on Tuesday, February 17th, and despite the New York Giants having several key free agents, don't expect them to designate their franchise tag.
The Giants' three biggest free agents are receiver Wan'Dale Robinson, right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor , and corner Cor'Dale Flott. Although all three had their best season with Big Blue in 2025, all three will be unrestricted free agents when free agency starts on March 11th.
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In a perfect world, the team would like to have all three back, but the NFL is not a perfect world, and the franchise tag for each position is expensive. The projected franchise tag for a receiver is $28.8 million, the projected tag for an offensive lineman is $27.9 million, and the projected tag for a corner is $21.4 million.
All three are talented players, but they are not elite and do not warrant being one of the highest-paid players at their respective positions for 2026, especially with the team only having a projected $6.9 million in cap space. General manager Joe Schoen may cut players and restructure contracts to free up cap space, but it still wouldn't be in the best interest to overpay one of their free agents even if it's only for one season.
New York will make a conservative effort in contract negotiations to retain all three, but knows the likelihood of keeping all three is slim. But with the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the team is equipped to move on from at least one of its free agents.
First Round Options That Could Replace The Veteran Free Agents
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There have been several mock drafts where the team addresses each position of their top free agents in the first round. It would not be a shock to anyone if the team elects to let one of their free agents walk in free agency and replace them with a top college prospect.
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For wide receiver, Big Blue has been linked to Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate, Arizona State wideout Jordyn Tyson, and USC receiver Makai Lemon. Lemon was named First-Team All-American, while Tate received Second-Team honors, and Tyson was named First-Team All-Big 12.
It was obvious when Malik Nabers was lost for the season in Week 4 that the receiver position was an issue, as Robinson was the only reliable target Jaxson Dart had to throw to.
But there's a good chance the team might lose Robinson in free agency, as it's been rumored that he's seeking a four-year deal that will pay him around $17 million annually. That price tag might be higher than the team is willing to pay for the 5-8, 185-pound slot receiver.
Drafting one of the college prospects would be a cheaper option for New York, and since all three are bigger than Robinson, they pose more of a threat on the outside, which the team will need especially if Nabers were to get injured again.
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University of Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa has also been linked as a possible option for the Giants at pick number five. The 6'6 315-pound Mauigoa appeared in 42 games in his three years at Miami and was widely considered one of the best right tackles in the nation. In 2025, he was a consensus First-Team All-American, and he fits all of the measurables you want in a tackle.
Another player who has been linked to New York is LSU Tiger cornerback Mansoor Delane. Delane spent his first three years at Virginia Tech before transferring to LSU in 2005. He was a Unanimous All-American and recorded 45 tackles, 11 pass defenses, and two interceptions. The six-foot, 190-pound corner is great in press coverage and would be ready to step in as a Week 1 starter if drafted.
How the Giants handle their free agents will provide insight into which direction they may go with their first pick in the draft. We should get a glance at these prospects this week during the NFL Combine.
Related: New York Giants Coach John Harbaugh Discusses Drafting Caleb Downs
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