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With just hours remaining until the “legal tampering” period of free agency opened, Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll sat in the GM’s office going over names on a whiteboard. What would be their priority?
It wasn’t Barkley and it wasn’t even edge rusher Brian Burns, who they would acquire later. Rather, it was repairing their dismal offensive line.
The Giants considered guard Robert Hunt but ultimately decided on the more affordable Jon Runyan Jr. Hunt later signed for more than Schoen’s high-end projection on him.
Meanwhile, Jermaine Eluemunor was considered New York’s top offensive line target from the very beginning.
Both Runyan and Eluemunor signed for more than the projected price tag the Giants had on them. Runyan signed for an average salary of $10 million per year ($9 million was the high-end projection) and Eluemunor signed for an average salary of $7 million ($5 million was the initial high-end projection but Schoen later acknowledged that could climb to $6 million).
The Giants beat out the Jets for Runyan and the Arizona Cardinals for Eluemunor.
“He’s gonna be our starting right tackle or our starting left guard,” director of pro scouting Chris Rossetti said of Eluemunor.
