Super Bowl LIV is finally here, as the Chiefs and 49ers square off at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Sunday night to see who will hoist the coveted Vince Lombardi trophy at the end of the night.

Both squads have their stars. Patrick Mahomes leads a stacked offense that includes Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins and Travis Kelce as his weapons. But they're going to have to face off against Richard Sherman, Nick Bosa and the rest of the NFL's No. 2 defense. And, of course, you can't sleep on Jimmy Garoppolo, George Kittle, and the rest of that Niners offense that ran all over the Packers two weeks ago.

But, for Giants fans, it's a chance to keep your eye on a few players that are set to enter free agency once this game is over.

The Giants have many holes to fill this offseason, and with a little less than $62 million in cap space at the moment according to OverTheCap.com, GM Dave Gettleman should be watching this game closely to see who could be a good fit for his roster next season.

So, as you get your beer and wings all set before the big game, here's a few names to look out for at kickoff:

49ers DE Arik Armstead

Armstead was the 17th overall pick by San Francisco by in the 2015 NFL Draft, but his lack of production coupled with injury had the Niners pick up his fifth-year option this season hoping he could turn things around. And that's exactly what happened -- just in time to become a free agent.

Armstead, at a whopping 6-foot-7, 297 pounds, set career highs with 10 sacks, 54 combined tackles, two forced fumbles, and 18 quarterback hits. The fact that this was his first season showing numbers like that, too, shouldn't drive his price tag too high when he hits the market.

San Fran would obviously love to have him back on what has become a terrifying defense to go against. But the Giants have an opportunity to add a pass rusher they desperately need here. They could even add him with another top tier edge rusher like Jadeveon Clowney or Shaq Barrett.

Chiefs DE/DT Chris Jones

Plain and simple: Jones is going to see a large payday.

The 25-year-old recorded 15.5 sacks in 2018, and followed it up this season with nine after totaling four in his last five games. Jones may have switched to defensive tackle this season, but he can play virtually anywhere on the line.

Spotrac has his market value set around $19.2 million, which the Giants can afford. And if Gettleman really wants him, he'll have to write a hefty check.

Chiefs DE Emmanuel Ogbah

Ogbah doesn't get a fifth-year option after his second-round selection in the 2016 NFL Draft, so he'll hit free agency this spring. Turning 27 in November and a solid season should have a few teams calling.

Ogbah, originally with the Browns for three seasons before joining Kansas City, had 5.5 sacks with 32 combined tackles, 11 quarterback hits, one forced fumble and three passes defended. Also, those numbers came in just four starts over 10 games before a torn pectoral muscle ended his season.

Having Dee Ford and Frank Clark to work behind, Ogbah may be searching for a bigger role next season.

Chiefs CB Bashaud Breeland

The Giants are extremely young in their secondary room, with DeAndre Baker -- their first-rounder that struggled for most of the season before turning in a strong few games to finish the year -- as their top cornerback with Janoris Jenkins released. Sam Beal, Grant Haley and Corey Ballentine round out the group that is very inexperienced.

Breeland has put together a fine first season with the Chiefs, totaling 48 tackles, two fumble recoveries with one going back for a touchdown, eight passes defended, and two interceptions over 16 regular-season games.

He has only allowed one touchdown this season, and those young corners could use six years of NFL experience around them to balance things out. Breeland also knows the Giants well, having played against them with the Redskins for the first four years of his career.

Chiefs ILB Reggie Ragland

Anthony Hitchens and Damien Wilson run the show up the middle for the Chiefs, and they'll do the same against the Niners. But in the case that Ragland does see some reps, be on the look out for someone the Giants could target to help their linebackers corps.

He was a second-rounder by the Bills, but a torn ACL ruined his rookie season. Then, he was traded to the Chiefs before the start of the 2017 season. Ragland would have a solid 2018 campaign, where he tallied 86 combined tackles and one interception. But he has taken a back seat this year with the two linebackers mentioned previously taking most of the reps.

The Giants need help at linebacker, and Ragland could look at this as a redemption campaign for himself in New York.

Popular in the Community