The Giants have some big decisions to make this offseason with key players either heading to free agency or entering the last year of their contract.
With little wiggle room to work with under the salary cap, we'll take a look at these players and whether or not they should stay or go.
Let's break down the case of G Will Hernandez:
Hernandez was viewed as a steal by virtually everyone when the Giants were able to get him in the second round. Known as as a tough, bulldozing guard during his time at UTEP, Hernandez was fit to come right in and play one of the guard positions to help revamp the offensive line when Dave Gettleman assumed his GM role.
But heading into his final rookie contract year this past season, the jury was still out on Hernandez. While providing some solid play over the years, Hernandez hasn't been consistent, which is why we're in the current scenario of his future in New York being uncertain.
in 2021, Hernandez posted mediocre blocking grades, per Pro Football Focus, with 58.4 run block and 56.0 pass block marks. He was tied for 13th among guards with 36 total pressures allowed on the quarterback.
The intangibles with Hernandez are why his coaches love him. He truly wears his heart on his sleeve when he gets down in the trenches. You constantly see him backing up his quarterback, running back, or whoever is holding the ball when the whistle blows.
There could also be more meat on the bone with Hernandez that a new coaching staff could unleash. Rob Sale began that process when he came in last year.
And most importantly, who knows what Shane Lemieux and Nick Gates will be able to contribute in 2021 after their brutal injuries. Hernandez is familiar with the franchise and could return on a very team-friendly deal due to his lack of consistency. It will be up to the coaching staff to try something different to make that work.
If anything, offensive line depth is crucial for any winning team and Hernandez wasn't a second-round pick by accident.
Simply put, Hernandez is one of the many reasons why this offensive line might see four new starters for the 2022 season.
The stats don't really tell the whole picture, because toward the end of the 2021 season they were trying to throw the ball right away. But still, he racked up the pressures we mentioned earlier and there may have been even more had the quarterback been holding the ball a bit longer (of course, you could say that about any offensive lineman).
The Giants' new GM, whoever that may be after this extensive interview process, will be doing a total evaluation of the roster once he is in place. And the offensive line is going to be the top priority to figure out, especially if the team wants to do a true and fair evaluation of Daniel Jones in Year 4.
Other than Andrew Thomas, no one played well enough to warrant another year as a starter.
Hernandez had four years to cement his role, and though there were spurts of good play, his pick hasn't paid dividends. Like the Giants are doing in the front office and with their coaching staff, it may just be best to start this offensive line experiment from square one again. That means no Hernandez, and others, in the equation.
You hate to see a second-round pick wasted after just four years. It's not how winning franchises function. But I think the easy decision here is to let Hernandez go.
After watching him for four years, he just hasn't done enough to be a starter. Is he good for depth? Maybe. But he's had ample opportunity to show he can consistently block well for the Giants.
Instead, he's just been a part of the deep-rooted offensive line struggles the Giants have been enduring for years now.
A fresh start is needed for Big Blue here -- desperately. Hernandez has talent, and maybe another coaching staff can figure it out down the road. I wouldn't mind if he returns on a very team-friendly deal to be used as depth, but there's no way the Giants can be confident in re-signing him to an extension to be a starter. That ship has sailed, along with Gettleman.
