John Harbaugh and the New York Giants could ultimately make a risky $9.3 million move this offseason.
John Harbaugh is now the head coach of the New York Giants, and surely, he wants to overhaul a roster that won just seven games the last two seasons.
Or, at the very least, Harbaugh is aiming to do quite a bit of retooling.
The problem is that the Giants do not currently have a ton of money to spend. They have just $7.9 million in cap space (per Over the Cap), which will obviously inhibit their chances of making significant decisions in free agency.
Of course, New York can free up some money with roster cuts and contract moves, and Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine has identified a risky decision that would save the Giants $9.3 million: cutting guard Jon Runyan Jr.
"Parting with a starting offensive lineman isn't something to be done lightly," Ballentine wrote. "Jon Runyan Jr. has started 29 games over the last two seasons and there's something to be said for that. However, he was graded 66th out of the 80 guards that PFF graded last season."
Runyan did not play particularly well in 2025, finishing with a paltry 49.6 run-blocking grade at Pro Football Focus. That could be enough for Harbaugh to decide that moving on from Runyan and saving that cash is the best course of action.
New York Giants offensive lineman Jon Runyan Jr. Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images.The problem is that New York would then have to replace Runyan, which would add another bullet point on its laundry list of needs this offseason.
Big Blue does not exactly have any enthralling internal options to fill that gap, so the Giants would either have to sign someone in free agency or select a guard in the NFL Draft, which will be difficult considering New York does not have a third-round pick.
The Giants have clear needs at defensive tackle, cornerback, wide receiver and offensive tackle, the latter of which will become more prominent if and when Jermaine Eluemunor departs via free agency.
New York could always roll with former fifth-round draft pick Marcus Mbow — who showed flashes during his rookie campaign in 2025 — at right tackle, but the Giants might want an option with a higher ceiling.
That being said, Runyan isn't producing. The G-Men signed him to a three-year, $30 million deal in March 2024, and he has been a below average lineman in each of his first two seasons in the Big Apple.
It might be time for the Giants to cut the cord with the 28-year-old, but that will also result in yet another hole New York will need to address.
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