Have some of these players seen their last down with the New York Giants?

Three things work very strongly in Chris Snee's favor. For one, the Giants lack depth at the guard position (the other starting guard, Kevin Boothe, is a free agent). He can still play at a capable high level (his Pro Bowl nod this season may have been generous, however). Oh, and he is the head coach's son in law. However, he is earning $11 million next season. Releasing him would leave a lot of dead money, but would still save close to $5 million. If that money is needed for higher priority free agents, he could be gone.Over his career, David Diehl has long been one of the good guys and a team-first player. But his quality of play has been slipping for several years now, and his 2012 season was marred by injuries. The Giants' best offensive line of the season by far included Will Beatty at left tackle and Sean Locklear at right tackle, and both are free agents. If they want to re-sign those players, there is likely little room for Diehl. He is set to early close to $7 million, and his release would saved nearly $5 million.Nobody on the Giants' roster underperformed based on their level of pay more than their supposed top corner, Corey Webster. He found himself beaten repeatedly as he played an instrumental role in the Giants finishing at the 31st ranked defense in the league. He is set to earn nearly $10 million in 2013, and the Giants would save $7.25 million by releasing him, making him the prime candidate for release with Prince Amukamara and re-signing Terrell Thomas.View the list »
Corey Webster

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Last week saw the New York Giants part ways with three high profile veterans in their efforts to not only become cap compliant, but to harvest resources for signing their own pending free agents. Having already said farewell to linebacker Michael Boley, running back Ahmad Bradshaw, and defensive tackle Chris Canty, the Giants have already saved themselves over $10 million against the salary cap for the 2013 season.

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However, they almost certainly are not done yet, and whether that comes through contract restructures, extensions, or more releases remains to be seen. Either way, there are some prime candidates on the chopping block that the Giants may be better off saying farewell to because their salary does not match their on-field production.

With some key free agents of their own, such as LT Will Beatty, TE Martellus Bennett, LG Kevin Boothe, RT Sean Locklear, and LBs Chase Blackburn and Keith Rivers, the Giants have some decisions to make. See the list for the top five candidates most likely to be cut over the next few weeks, taking into consideration their level of play, the depth at their position, their salary, and the salary cap savings the team would gain from their release.

View the list
  • Nobody on the Giants' roster underperformed based on their level of pay more than their supposed top corner, Corey Webster. He found himself beaten repeatedly as he played an instrumental role in the Giants finishing at the 31st ranked defense in the league. He is set to earn nearly $10 million in 2013, and the Giants would save $7.25 million by releasing him, making him the prime candidate for release with Prince Amukamara and re-signing Terrell Thomas.
  • Over his career, David Diehl has long been one of the good guys and a team-first player. But his quality of play has been slipping for several years now, and his 2012 season was marred by injuries. The Giants' best offensive line of the season by far included Will Beatty at left tackle and Sean Locklear at right tackle, and both are free agents. If they want to re-sign those players, there is likely little room for Diehl. He is set to early close to $7 million, and his release would saved nearly $5 million.
  • Three things work very strongly in Chris Snee's favor. For one, the Giants lack depth at the guard position (the other starting guard, Kevin Boothe, is a free agent). He can still play at a capable high level (his Pro Bowl nod this season may have been generous, however). Oh, and he is the head coach's son in law. However, he is earning $11 million next season. Releasing him would leave a lot of dead money, but would still save close to $5 million. If that money is needed for higher priority free agents, he could be gone.
  • Even Justin Tuck would admit that he had quite a lackluster 2012 season. He has had a couple of those lately, while being bogged down by injury. Osi Umenyiora has consistently been a more reliable pass rusher, but he is an unrestricted free agent. Could the Giants possibly say goodbye to Tuck to keep Umenyiora around? Or could they move Mathias Kiwanuka back to defensive end instead? Kiwanuka is not a candidate for release--cutting him would actually add to the salary cap.
  • The last candidate for release may not seem very likely, but it must be considered due to his contract. When the Giants signed Antrel Rolle as a free agent, it was the most lucrative contract for a safety of all time. He is set to earn over $9 million in 2013, and the Giants could save $5 million by cutting him. Their other starting safety, Kenny Phillips, is a free agent. Could they favor Phillips over Rolle and use that $5 million to sign Phillips and rely on Stevie Brown, Will Hill, and Tyler Sash to fill the void at safety?
View the list

, Newark Football Examiner

Having grown up in New Jersey, Matt has naturally been around Giants and Jets football his entire life. But at a young age, he also found an affinity for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and as he got older, his fondness for the game itself grew beyond rooting for certain teams. Although the NFL season...

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