The New York Giants have cut linebacker Connor Barwin after just one season, the team announced Monday.
Barwin, 32, was signed to a two-year, $3.5 million deal last July to augment the team’s sagging pass rush.
Releasing Barwin clears $1.5 million in much-needed salary cap space for the Giants, who will be seeking to find younger, more viable options for their defense, which collapsed down the stretch in 2018.
Barwin appeared in 15 games (three starts) for Big Blue in 2018, hardly making an impact with four passes defensed and one sack (at Carolina in Week 5).
The Giants will be looking to upgrade at linebacker this offseason via free agency and the draft. They have a linebacker base of Alec Ogletree, B.J. Goodson and Tae Davis on the inside with Olivier Vernon, Kareem Martin and Lorenzo Carter on the outside.
Vernon, who represented the Giants in the Pro Bowl last month, will be a topic of discussion. It remains to be seen whether he will be released outright or asked to accept a pay cut.
Barwin’s short tenure with the Giants will likely be remembered by his influence on the younger players, specifically Carter, who has credited Barwin with mentoring him in training camp and helping him acclimate to NFL life.
