NFL Free Agency: Does DL Jared Odrick make sense for Giants?

The New York Giants are facing the possibility, the nightmare scenario if you will, of losing both defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins in free agency. Even if the Giants somehow manage to keep both players, there is an argument to be made that the depth on the defensive line could stand an upgrade.

Regardless of whether they retain Pierre-Paul and Hankins, could Jared Odrick, released on Monday by the Jacksonville Jaguars, be a player who could help the Giants?

Odrick, 29, was cut by Tom Coughlin two years into a five-year, $42.5 million contract he had signed with the previous Jacksonville regime. Odrick still had $25.5 million remaining on that deal, and his release saves Jacksonville $8.5 million against the cap next season.

Ryan Day of SB Nation’s Big Cat Country was apparently not a fan of former Jaguars coach Gus Bradley. Here is what Day said when I asked him what Odrick might be able to offer the Giants:

If you're looking for a guy to get the occasional pressure and play the run primarily, I don't see why Jared Odrick would be a bad signing.

Granted, all I've seen of Odrick is in a Gus Bradley defense that never should have been. He played a dumb position in a defense that didn't maximize the talents of some players and Odrick played okay in that system. And all the intangibles check out too -- he's a positive veteran in the locker room and positional meetings, he's a responsible guy getting himself conditioned for game days, etc... I think he'll get offers from multiple teams looking to utilize what he does well: giving a DE or 3T a spell when he needs it.

If the Giants need a guy who won't distract in the locker room, who doesn't quit on plays, and can stuff the run and take advantage to get a pressure when a quarterback is flushed his way, sign Odrick. He just doesn't fit in what the Jaguars (and, frankly, Tom Coughlin) is trying to build here in 2017.

Odrick is a 6-foot-5, 310-pound 29-year-old. He has the versatility to play both inside at tackle and outside at defensive end. For the Giants, he could be a useful part of the defensive line rotation, perhaps as a pass-rushing 3-tech next to Damon Harrison and as an occasional defensive end in run-heavy packages. In 2015, the Giants utilized Cullen Jenkins in a similar fashion.

Odrick has 23.5 career sacks. His career high was six with the Miami Dolphins in 2011, and he had 5.5 with Jacksonville in 2015. Odrick missed 10 games in 2016 with a season-ending shoulder injury.

SB Nation had this to say about Odrick:

The veteran defensive end hits the market as an intriguing option for teams looking to bolster their pass rush, based on his 2015 performance. Odrick has the versatility to play inside or outside, which enhances his appeal. If he’s able to get and remain healthy, he could be a factor next season.

Odrick, by the way, did not seem all that unhappy about being jettisoned by Jacksonville.

Your thoughts, Giants fans? Is Odrick a player the Giants should consider?

[E-mail Ed at bigblueview@gmail.com | Follow Big Blue View on Twitter | 'Like' Big Blue View on Facebook]