The New York Giants didn’t spend big to bring in John Harbaugh just to play it safe, as the franchise is clearly trying to reset its identity fast, and the early offseason moves have reinforced that idea, including a coaching staff build aimed at developing Jaxson Dart with Matt Nagy and Brian Callahan in place. With the new staff taking shape, the Giants’ biggest roster needs are showing up in the same places over and over. Harbaugh also made it clear he’s protecting continuity on the defensive side by keeping Charlie Bullen in-house, retaining him amid outside interest, and elevating him with an added defensive run game coordinator title for 2026.
So we return to the main question, and that’s why three incoming trade targets keep surfacing as the most realistic “market movers” tied to New York.
We’ll talk about them right now: do they have the necessary to bring the Giants back to glory?
Is the versatile Marlon Humphrey the key to the Giants?
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Marlon Humphrey is the biggest defensive swing because it solves multiple problems at once. He is definitely a top trade target, and Harbaugh’s system historically leans on versatile defensive backs, and Humphrey has the resume to walk into a locker room and instantly change the standard.
Humphrey’s name has also been floating around the league for a practical reason: contract pressure. Sports Illustrated’s Ravens coverage has also discussed Humphrey as a player Baltimore could consider moving due to the cap figure and the fact that he’s entering the final year of his deal.
Cesar Ruiz is the surprise New York needs
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Cesar Ruiz is the quieter name that still qualifies as a real offseason shaker for New York because it directly impacts whether the offense can function consistently. Ruiz could be a Giants trade target with offensive tackle and overall line uncertainty as the backdrop, and ESPN’s Giants offseason outlook also underlined how unsettled the line could become, with multiple linemen set to hit free agency.
Ruiz is the type of acquisition that holds the game tight. If the Giants are serious about building an environment where Dart can develop without living in chaos, the interior line matters as much as any splash skill player. A steady, veteran-level guard/center option also allows the team to approach the draft with less desperation.
There’s also a “league ripple” angle to Ruiz. Interior line help gets scarce quickly, and if New York makes a move for a starting-caliber player via trade, other teams that were hoping to patch guard and center with mid-tier veterans will feel the pressure, and the market heats up fast. Spotrac’s trade-candidates tracker has included Ruiz among the names that could be moved, which reinforces that his availability is being discussed beyond one outlet’s speculation.
Jaylen Waddle: a new face for the Giants
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Jaylen Waddle is the headline offensive name because wide receiver is where blockbusters tend to land. Giants’ interest in Waddle was reported by SNY in October 2025, when Connor Hughes wrote that the Giants were “big-game hunting” at receiver and mentioned Waddle among the names on that target board.
Waddle-to-New York is the kind of trade that would immediately reset how defenses play the Giants. Wan’Dale Robinson’s breakout gives New York a legitimate piece, but a true top-end receiver changes spacing and coverage priorities. It also changes the quarterback development plan. Young quarterbacks leap faster when there’s a receiver who can win early in the route, separate late in the route, and create explosive plays without needing perfect structure.
Waddle’s name has also been circulating because Miami’s offseason is expected to include hard decisions, including the one that the Dolphins could probably let go of Tua Tagovailoa via trade or release, with the finances complicated either way. When a franchise shifts at quarterback, it often triggers wider roster calculus, including whether to reallocate money and picks across the offense.
On the outgoing side, the Giants have names that can show up in trade chatter simply because of roster construction and value.
Kayvon Thibodeaux has been discussed in Giants-centric planning content as a player the team could consider moving to gain assets, depending on how it wants to build the next version of the roster. Dexter Lawrence’s name also pops up in league-wide trade-target thinking as a player other teams might call about, even if that’s a long shot in practice.
Cam Skattebo also made a plea for the Giants to draft ASU teammate Jordyn Tyson, adding much more power for New York, much better with the possibilities of Tyson to become a No.1 wide receiver and a great complement for Skattebo.
The central point is that the Giants’ offseason is positioned to be aggressive because the franchise has already taken aggressive steps on the coaching side.
So, New York is trying to build a “rapid turnaround,” with the kind of roster that can win ugly games and survive a playoff-style schedule. With that new possible roster, is it too early to say that the Giants fans want, and dream about, the 5th title of the Super Bowl at the SoFi?
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