EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey — There’s a new head coach for the New York Giants and with that comes some new schemes and preferences.

The Giants have to reshape their roster to meet coach John Harbaugh’s wishes. What that will look like when they wrap up the first wave of NFL free agency next week might surprise some. Maybe that means the signing of the running back Kenneth Walker III or Travis Etienne Jr. Or guard Wyatt Teller and defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers. Everything is possible.

The Giants already released starting middle linebacker and defensive captain Bobby Okereke earlier this week. It was the first notable move, but certainly not the last.

Certain players the previous coach preferred in his scheme might not ideally fit what Harbaugh and his new staff are looking for. Or if, say, the Giants upgraded their center position in free agency, it could mean 2023 second-round pick John Michael Schmitz Jr. moves elsewhere. Hypothetically, of course.

Just about anything is on the table as the Giants enter free agency this year, including the possibility of landing Super Bowl LX MVP Walker in their backfield. That’s a move the team has considered, multiple league sources told ESPN.

The Seahawks are interested in retaining Walker. There are other suitors too. So it’s not a given that Walker or any other top running back will end up in New York. Travis Etienne Jr. and Rico Dowdle are other options. Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love impressed the Giants at last week’s combine, according to multiple league sources.

What all this interest portends with Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy Jr. on the roster is that the Giants are open to moves that most didn’t see coming. At the same time, they plan to become a more physical and running-focused team.

It makes sense considering this is what the Ravens were under Harbaugh in Baltimore. Expect the Giants to focus on their lines, running game and run defense in free agency. A market-setting deal for former Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum is even possible, though unlikely given the high contract price and Schmitz’s presence.

Linderbaum doesn’t appear to be a bust for the Giants. They’ll take care of the offensive line anyway. The Giants have expressed interest in Teller, a former Cleveland Browns player, and other guards, according to a league source. Established veterans like Dylan Parham and Alijah Vera-Tucker are other run blocking options expected in the mix.

There is also a chance that right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor re-signs. The two sides have remained in contact and Eluemunor is open to a return, team sources told ESPN.

But Eluemunor is expected to attract a lot of attention as perhaps the best pass-blocking tackle available. The Giants are still believed to be in the mix, but the price of the contract certainly matters.

This is likely the last time Eluemunor, 31, will have the opportunity to receive this type of payment. Teams like the Arizona Cardinals, Browns and Kansas City Chiefs are looking for offensive tackles. That’s expected to give Eluemunor a deal worth around $10 a season after a two-year, $14 million deal as a free agent two years ago.

“I only need two teams,” said one NFL executive. “The offensive line is a bonus.”

Eluemunor isn’t the only Giants free agent set to make some money next week. Wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson and cornerback Cor’Dale Flott join him as his top free agents. Last week, Harbaugh remembered what he saw when he went back and watched the tape of those three.

“Yeah, the bottom line is I saw all the guys we want back,” he said. “So you want to get the guys back now because, okay, do we have the means to bring them back and is it a good use of resources, what’s the limit? So that’s the next part of the conversation and that’s part of the planning that’s been going on. And then we’ll learn more about this week when we find out what the real values ​​are, what’s realistic.”

For Robinson it appears to be in the range of $15 million per season, a bit more than Buffalo receiver Khalil Shakir received in a new deal last year. That appears to be too rich for the Giants given what they will demand of their slot receiver in their new offense. The Tennessee Titans, with former coach Brian Daboll as offensive coordinator, appear to be the favorites for Robinson, who is coming off a 1,000-yard season and led all NFL wide receivers with 622 yards out of the slot.

Flott is a bit more mysterious. He’s coming off a strong season in coverage in which his -12.7 target EPA against him was eighth among all outside cornerbacks with at least 200 coverage snaps. It put Flott, 24, directly ahead of All-Pro Derek Stingley Jr. and AJ Terrell Jr.

Awesome company. But Flott also has an acquired taste at 175 pounds. He may not be ideal for a Giants defense focused on improving their ability to stop the run.

The Giants will need to upgrade their secondary, but their interest in trading Trent McDuffie to the Chiefs was overblown. They aren’t looking at high-end cornerbacks after signing Paulson Adebo last offseason and with only two top-100 picks in this year’s draft. Signing a physically proven cornerback like Tampa Bay’s Jamel Dean (6-1, 206) makes a lot more sense.

That doesn’t mean the Giants won’t add to the secondary, as safety Dane Belton is likely to leave in free agency. That will leave a significant void on special teams. Former Raven Ar’Darius Washington is a name to watch in that regard. Ohio State’s Caleb Downs is someone to keep an eye on in the draft.

The Giants will invest more in their defense. Multiple league sources expect outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux and his nearly $15 million salary to eventually transfer. That money can then be reallocated to others on your defensive front, whether it be a middle linebacker or defensive line.

The Giants are expected to add another important interior defensive lineman in free agency. They have some interest in Franklin-Myers, although his contract price in the $20 million range could be high. David Onyemata, DJ Reader and Sebastian Joseph-Day are also options.

At middle linebacker, the plan after releasing Okereke appears to be to add a veteran via free agency or a trade. and still potentially the draft. Additionally, the Giants are interested in re-signing inside linebacker Micah McFadden.

McFadden, who sat out most of last season with a foot injury, could return on a one-year tryout contract. But he has multiple suitors.