NFL free agency: Giants reach deal with DE Ifeadi Odenigbo

The New York Giants reached a deal late Wednesday evening with an intriguing young defensive end, Ifeadi Odenigbo.

The former Minnesota Vikings defensive end reportedly agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million deal.

Odenigbo, who will be 27 next season, had 3.5 sacks for the Vikings in 2020 and 7.5 sacks in 2019. He was a seventh-round pick by the Vikings in the 2017 NFL Draft. Odenigbo, 6-foot-3 and 258 pounds, started 15 games for Minnesota Vikings last season.

Kyler Fackrell, who played for the Giants on a one-year deal last season, is a free agent. The Giants are hoping Lorenzo Carter and Oshane Ximines, who each finished the 2020 season on injured reserve, will return healthy in 2021.

The Giants are trying to set up a meeting high-priced free agent wide receiver Kenny Golladay. Aside from that, however, they appear to be bargain-hunting in free agency for low-cost players with upside.

Odenigbo appears to fit that mold. In addition to his 3.5 sacks, Odenigbo had 15 quarterback hits for Minnesota last season while playing a career-high 696 defensive snaps. Odenigbo, a restricted free agent, was not tendered by the Vikings and became an unrestricted free agent able to sign with another team. Here is a pre-draft scouting report.