Isn’t it about time the New York Giants filled their linebacker needs? The upcoming NFL Draft has many interesting prospects but the free agent market, which opens in a little more than a week, also has players that should interest general manager Dave Gettleman.
Here are nine free agent linebackers the Giants should have interest in come next Wednesday, not in any particular order.
Kyle Van Noy, New England
This seems like a natural fit for the Giants now that former Patriots Joe Judge and Patrick Graham are in charge. Van Noy’s numbers don’t jump out at you, but he’s a leader with a tempered style who could help others acclimate to Graham’s system.
Shaq Barrett, Tampa Bay
Led the NFL with 19.5 sacks last year and is not likely to get out of Tampa since a) he wants to stay there and b) the Bucs could franchise tag him. The Giants are in dire need of pass rushers and Barrett is the flavor of the month. He will cost them dearly should they decide to go this route.
Matt Judon, Baltimore
Another highly productive player. Just 27, Judon racked up 9.5 sacks with 14 tackles for a loss. But again, the franchise tag looms for him as well. The bidding for Judon should he hit the market will be high. Is he a better option than bringing back Markus Golden, who the Giants are pondering re-signing?
Blake Martinez, Green Bay
Martinez is one of the top inside linebackers in the NFL. He is perennially among the league tackling leaders and will be demanding in the excess of $10 million per year. The former Stanford star is just 26 and would fit nicely in to the middle of the Giants’ defense, but they have high hopes for Ryan Connelly, so they may steer clear.
Cory Littleton, L.A. Rams
This is a player the Giants would really love to land. Not only was Littleton the “quarterback” of the Rams’ defense, he was a Pro Bowl special teams player. He’s also only 26 and I expect the Giants (and every other team) to inquire about his services. Get your checkbooks out.
Joe Schobert, Cleveland
Schobert will enter free agency and will have a full dance card. He’s very similar to Martinez in style and production, and like we stated, the Giants believe they potentially have such a player in Ryan Connelly.
Jamie Collins, New England
A natural fit because of his familiarity. Collins can do a little bit of everything and can be a fungible asset in Graham’s defense. He’s already 30 and the Giants could end up stealing him on, let’s say, a two-year deal.
Danny Trevathan, Chicago
Trevathan, 29, was a key cog on the Broncos’ Super Bowl defense a few years back but leveled off a bit in Chicago. He is still a player that will draw interest on the market, however. Not sure if he’s on the Giants’ short list but he could be another player that can get on the cheap.
Dante Fowler Jr., L.A. Rams
Although it seems like Fowler’s been in the league for a decade, he will only be 26 in August. He came into his own with 11.5 sacks for the Rams last season and many think he’s about to take off. He’s going to cost a bundle in free agency.
