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12 New York Giants Who Won't Return Next Season

This is a pivotal offseason for Brian Daboll and the New York Giants, and that means saying goodbye to a lot of familiar faces.

By Jason Schandl

Jan 7, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley (26)
Jan 7, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley (26) / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
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5. Rakeem Nunez-Roches

Shifting gears from upcoming free agents, Rakeem Nunez-Roches is a clear cut candidate.

Nunez-Roches' 46.3 overall grade from PFF was the second-worst among all Giants defensive starters, and was also just 116th among 130 qualifying interior defensive linemen.

PFF grades don't always tell the whole story, of course. But 1 TFL in 462 defensive snaps is a hard stat to ignore. And it's not like he was effectively clogging running lanes for other defenders to be freed up to make stops. He got knocked off the line of scrimmage with ease all year.

At 30 years old, it's also not like Nunez-Roches is a youngster who we should be patient with. A journeyman defensive tackle who struggles against the run and as a pass-rusher isn't exactly someone you want to keep around.

RNR carries a $4.33 million cap hit for 2024, so while taking on $2.87 million in dead money by cutting him wouldn't be ideal, that would still free up $1.47 million in cap space. And if he's designated as a post-June 1 cut then that dead money will be spread over the next two years, freeing up $2.9 million for this season.

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