Big Blue View - Giants 2022 free agency: Everything you need to knowYour place for year-round New York Giants discussion and informationhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47371/bigblueview_fave.png2022-04-21T12:26:22-04:00http://www.bigblueview.com/rss/stream/226972192022-04-21T12:26:22-04:002022-04-21T12:26:22-04:00Jordan Akins signing: Giants reportedly add another tight end
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<img alt="Houston Texans v Cleveland Browns" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/eHqd6mF0DUsPOj0Lzr9QLOU40Gg=/0x0:2952x1968/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70776450/1341316738.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jordan Akins (88) catches a pass for the Houston Texans last season. | Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Akins spent four seasons with the Texans after abandoning a baseball career</p> <p id="ccdEZD">The <a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">New York Giants</a> have reportedly made another in what is becoming a long list of under-the-radar “prove-it” type free agent signings. Jordan Akins, a tight end who spent his first four NFL seasons with the <a href="https://www.battleredblog.com/">Houston Texans</a>, is reportedly <a href="https://twitter.com/AaronWilson_NFL/status/1517155493940281344">signing a one-year deal with the Giants</a>. </p>
<p id="O6XHh3">A third-round pick by Houston in 2018, the 6-foot-4, 243-pound Akins has 114 receptions and three touchdowns in 58 NFL games, 23 of which were starts. He has averaged 11.1 yards per catch.</p>
<p id="Vvdpsb">Akins is the second tight end to sign a one-year deal with the Giants, joining Ricky Seals-Jones.</p>
<p id="CjDoZS">Former Giants tight end Evan Engram signed with the <a href="https://www.bigcatcountry.com/">Jacksonville Jaguars</a> as a free agent. Kyle Rudolph and Kaden Smith were both cut.</p>
<p id="ugGZkw">Giants tight ends coach Andy Bischoff held that same job with the Texans last season, so he worked with Akins.</p>
<p id="r6ZAMq">Akins is already 29 despite only being in the NFL for four seasons. He is a former baseball player who was drafted in the third round by the <a href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Texas Rangers</a> and spent four years as an outfielder in their minor league system before turning to football. Akins was selected in the third round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft by the Texas Rangers. He hit .218 as an outfielder in four seasons in the Texas farm system, including a .283 mark in 2011. He then went on to play college football at the University of Central Florida.</p>
<p id="xLWYNV">Akins is considered a receiving tight end who is under-sized for a blocking role.</p>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/4/21/23035707/jordan-akins-signing-giants-reportedly-add-tight-end-nfl-free-agency-2022Ed Valentine2022-04-05T16:14:24-04:002022-04-05T16:14:24-04:00Giants 2022 free agency tracker: Rumors, news, trades, signings, more
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<img alt="Arizona Cardinals v New York Giants" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/D7DlO2SR9r7rB96BjHjdJjVR068=/0x0:4063x2709/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70619904/1230165139.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Let’s keep track of all of the moves, and rumored moves, by GM Joe Schoen</p> <p id="MiRQGI">NFL free agency 2022 is about to begin. The negotiating window, sometimes called the “legal tampering period” opens on Monday, March 14. Players cannot officially sign until Wednesday, March 16. </p>
<p id="WIlHwH">The Giants have already made a number of offseason moves. To track what happens during the actual free agency period, let’s track all the rumors and news in one place — right here.</p>
<p id="GuW9Ze">Keep coming back to this page for all the news and analysis you need on who the Giants sign, who they lose and how all of that impacts the 2022 season. Check out the Giants’ Super Bowl odds <a href="https://dksb.sng.link/As9kz/qqa5?_dl=https%3A%2F%2Fsportsbook.draftkings.com%2Fgateway%3Fs%3D341866674%26wpcid%3D163146%26wpcn%3DBlog%26wpsrc%3DVox%26wpcrid%3DOdds&pcid=163146&pscn=NFLRegSeason&pcrn=Blog&psn=Vox">courtesy of our friends at DraftKings Sportsbook</a>, and see our <a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/2/14/22933178/giants-2022-nfl-free-agency-rumors-signings-new-analysis-tracker">free agency StoryStream</a> for everything we have written about free agency.</p>
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<h1 id="Im8HOX">TUESDAY, APRIL 5</h1>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Rams signed former Giants’ punter Riley Dixon.</p>— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1511435174181052417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2022</a>
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<h1 id="aQL4XO">TUESDAY, MARCH 29</h1>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Former Giants’ safety Jabrill Peppers reached agreement on a one-year deal with the New England Patriots, per <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeReiss?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MikeReiss</a> and me. Peppers tore his ACL last season and is expected to be ready for the start of training camp.</p>— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1508856220467224593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2022</a>
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<h1 id="jonvP7">MONDAY, MARCH 28</h1>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AZCardinals?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AZCardinals</a> are expected to sign former <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Giants?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Giants</a> G Will Hernandez, source says. The 2018 second-round pick reunites with Cards OL coach Sean Kugler, his college line coach.</p>— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeGarafolo/status/1508482303856713732?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2022</a>
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<ul><li id="G5GdsD">Offensive lineman Max Garcia signs with Giants [<a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/28/22999958/nfl-free-agency-2022-g-max-garcia-signs-with-ny-giants">Full story</a>]</li></ul>
<h1 id="z0S7SB">FRIDAY, MARCH 25 </h1>
<ul><li id="JHwTn9">WR/KR Richie James Jr. signs with Giants [<a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/25/22996031/2022-nfl-free-agency-ny-giants-sign-wr-richie-james-jr-news">Full story</a>]</li></ul>
<h1 id="8ggXjC">WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23</h1>
<ul><li id="eivFzx">Giants sign defensive lineman Justin Ellis [<a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/23/22993191/2022-nfl-free-agency-ny-giants-sign-dl-justin-ellis-baltimore-ravens-news">Full story</a>]</li></ul>
<h1 id="1yudT8">MONDAY, MARCH 21</h1>
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<li id="pjmB0W">Defensive end Jihad Ward signs with Giants [<a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/21/22989350/giants-2022-free-agency-de-jihad-ward-signs-with-new-york">Full story</a>]</li>
<li id="1PetyH">Running back Matt Breida signs with Giants [<a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/21/22989237/nfl-free-agency-2022-giants-sign-veteran-rb-matt-breida">Full story</a>]</li>
<li id="huRzqb">Lorenzo Carter signing with Atlanta Falcons [<a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/21/22988926/2022-giants-nfl-free-agency-lorenzo-carter-reportedly-signing-with-atlanta-falcons">Full story</a>]</li>
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<h1 id="9DOHfi">FRIDAY, MARCH 18 </h1>
<ul><li id="aaJVSl">Giants add journeyman guard/center Jamil Douglas [<a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/19/22986263/giants-free-agency-2022-jamil-douglas-signing-adds-more-ol-depth">Full story</a>]</li></ul>
<h1 id="fhzUd3">THURSDAY, MARCH 17 </h1>
<ul><li id="FB0GBp">Giants cut veteran defensive back Logan Ryan [<a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/17/22983642/logan-ryan-cut-giants-move-on-from-veteran-safety-in-somewhat-surprising-move">Full story</a>]</li></ul>
<h1 id="KvLJdD">WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16</h1>
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<li id="Ug9huN">Giants sign veteran tight end Ricky Seals-Jones [<a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/16/22982224/giants-2022-free-agency-ricky-seals-jones-signing">Full story</a>]</li>
<li id="aP0dNU">Long-snapper Casey Kreiter back with Giants [<a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/16/22981750/2022-nfl-free-agency-ny-giants-re-sign-ls-casey-kreiter-news">Full story</a>]</li>
<li id="Rv2Z8o">Versatile young defensive back Jarren Williams will return to Giants. [<a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/16/22980811/giants-2022-nfl-free-agency-news-rumors-db-jarren-williams-signing">Full story</a>]</li>
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<h1 id="exXPD3">TUESDAY, MARCH 15</h1>
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<a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/15/22980026/2022-nfl-free-agency-giants-expected-to-sign-qb-tyrod-taylor-news-rumors">Giants sign Tyrod Taylor</a> to be backup quarterback.</li></ul>
<p id="1NWDcl">Taylor gets two-year, $11 million deal with incentives that could push the contract to $17 million.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Giants are not tendering OL Kyle Murphy, an exclusive rights free agent who missed last season with an ankle injury, per a source.</p>— Ralph Vacchiano (@RVacchianoSNY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RVacchianoSNY/status/1503741396095848458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2022</a>
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<h1 id="ZhALCJ">MONDAY, MARCH 14</h1>
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<strong>Keion Crossen signs with Dolphins. </strong>[<a href="https://www.thephinsider.com/2022/3/15/22978645/2022-nfl-free-agency-miami-dolphins-keion-crossen-signing">Full story</a>]</li>
<li id="rY9aid">
<strong>Giants sign veteran Jon Feliciano to play center.</strong> [<a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/14/22978436/giants-2022-free-agency-jon-feliciano-reportedly-added-to-play-center">Full story</a>]</li>
<li id="tt59jb">
<strong>Giants sign veteran guard Mark Glowinski.</strong> [<a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/14/22978304/giants-2022-nfl-free-agency-mark-glowinski-signing-colts">Full story</a>]</li>
<li id="0onXRT">
<strong>Giants lose defensive tackle Austin Johnson to Los Angeles Chargers. </strong>[<a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/14/22978289/giants-nfl-free-agency-2022-austin-johnson-signs-with-chargers">Full story</a>]</li>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Former <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Giants?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Giants</a> DT Austin Johnson is expected to sign with the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chargers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chargers</a>, source said. Another add on D.</p>— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1503507058213240835?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2022</a>
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<strong>Evan Engram to sign with Jacksonville Jaguars.</strong> [<a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/14/22978166/2022-free-agency-news-te-evan-engram-to-sign-with-jacksonville-jaguars-news-ny-giants">Full story</a>]</li>
<li id="9Kw7Yn"><strong>Giants add a wide receiver</strong></li>
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<p id="ndD9VE">Robert Foster played for Giants head coach Brian Daboll with the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Buffalo Bills. [<a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/14/22977699/giants-2022-free-agency-rumors-news-ny-giants-robert-foster-signing">Full story</a>]</p>
<ul><li id="Q6wtrS"><strong>Mitchell Trubisky off the board for the Giants</strong></li></ul>
<p id="rRwNsf">Trubisky will sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he will replace Ben Rothlisberger. [<a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/14/22977557/nfl-free-agency-2022-rumors-news-mitchell-signing-pittsburgh-steelers-ny-giants">Full story</a>]</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ravens center Bradley Bozeman is drawing interest from Giants, Jets, Bengals and Panthers in free agency, according to league sources</p>— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/AaronWilson_NFL/status/1503402268900700172?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2022</a>
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<ul><li id="vIk6Om"><strong>WR/KR C.J. Board to return</strong></li></ul>
<p id="jLxyBN">Giants will bring back reserve wide receiver and useful special teams player. [<a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/14/22977366/giants-free-agency-wr-c-j-board-returning-to-new-york">Full story</a>]</p>
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<p id="SPHjju">Below, a list of all of your Giants free agents.</p>
<h2 id="5YzN16">Unrestricted free agents</h2>
<p id="E6gq2Y">OT Nate Solder<br>DL Austin Johnson [Signing with Los Angeles Chargers]<br>C Billy Price<br>TE Evan Engram [<a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/14/22978166/2022-free-agency-news-te-evan-engram-to-sign-with-jacksonville-jaguars-news-ny-giants">Signing with Jacksonville Jaguars</a>]<br>S Jabrill Peppers [<a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1508856220467224593">Signed with New England Patriots</a>]<br>WR John Ross<br>G Will Hernandez [<a href="https://twitter.com/MikeGarafolo/status/1508482303856713732">Signing with Arizona Cardinals</a>]<br>TE Levine Toilolo<br>QB Mike Glennon<br>S Nate Ebner<br>DL Danny Shelton<br>OLB Lorenzo Carter [<a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/21/22988926/2022-giants-nfl-free-agency-lorenzo-carter-reportedly-signing-with-atlanta-falcons">Signing with Atlanta Falcons</a>]<br>LB Reggie Ragland<br>FB Elijhaa Penny<br>LS Casey Kreiter [<a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1504176102008315904">Returning to Giants</a>]<br>LB Benardrick McKinney<br>LB Jaylon Smith<br>OL Matt Skura<br>OT Korey Cunningham [Returning to Giants]<br>WR Dante Pettis<br>WR C.J. Board [<a href="https://twitter.com/JordanRaanan/status/1503394717488324617">Returning to Giants</a>]<br>DB Keion Crossen [Signed with Miami Dolphins]</p>
<h2 id="OI6Lsm">Restricted free agents</h2>
<p id="DMHVAQ">FB Cullen Gillaspia [Not tendered]<br>S Joshua Kalu [Not tendered]<br>S Steven Parker [Not tendered]</p>
<h2 id="N0DkDk">Exclusive rights free agents</h2>
<p id="0cIYPz">S J.R. Reed [Will not be retained]<br>QB Jake Fromm [<a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/16/22980961/giants-opt-not-to-tender-exclusive-free-agent-offer-to-qb-jake-fromm">Will not be retained</a>]<br>G Kyle Murphy [Not tendered]<br>WR David Sills [Returning to Giants]<br>CB Jarren Williams [<a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/16/22980811/giants-2022-nfl-free-agency-news-rumors-db-jarren-williams-signing">Returning to Giants</a>]</p>
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https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/14/22972896/giants-2022-free-agency-trackers-rumors-news-trades-signings-moreEd Valentine2022-03-31T08:00:00-04:002022-03-31T08:00:00-04:00Film review: Max Garcia, is he a starter for Giants’ revamped OL?
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<figcaption>Photo by Amy Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Let’s look at what the veteran can offer </p> <p id="v3col8">The <a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">New York Giants</a> continue to revamp one of the worst offensive lines in franchise history. Joe Schoen and company signed veteran Max Garcia to a one-year contract. Garcia is another inexpensive competent offensive lineman that provides versatility. The Giants have signed Garcia, Mark Glowinski, Jon Feliciano, Jamil Douglas, and Matt Gono during the offseason. Considering the Giants’ cap situation, this is an impressive accomplishment by the Giants’ front office. </p>
<p id="b3UCth">New York has positioned themselves with one glaring need on the offensive line - right tackle. They entered free agency with four, and now competition will allow the cream to rise to the top.</p>
<p id="8aFazz">Garcia is a 30-year-old (<em>6-foot-4, 309-pound</em>) former fourth-round pick in 2015 by the <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com">Denver Broncos</a>. He has started 39 games at left guard, nine at right guard, and four at center; the four starts at center were in 2021, and it was his best tape of the year. </p>
<p id="rJt3RK">Garcia allowed 20 pressures and five sacks through 565 snaps at right guard and no pressures or sacks through 297 snaps at center. In his career, he’s allowed 116 pressures and 16 sacks through 2,289 pass-blocking reps. Let’s get into Garcia’s film and see what he can offer the Giants in 2022.</p>
<p id="KbecyE"><em>Max Garcia is No. 73</em></p>
<h2 id="zEX2CW">Run blocking positives</h2>
<p id="cfVZLB">Garcia’s tape wasn’t dominant in any one area. He’s not a dynamic athlete, but he plays with a toughness that’s more than respectable. Like most of the Giants’ offensive line additions, he’s functional and a realistic option to start.</p>
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<p id="exSAYT">At right guard, Garcia faces a 2i-shade in a favorable run box. He steps play-side and gets his outside hand on the mid-line of Greg Gaines (91). The defender does a great job extending his arms and occupying the cut-back lane, but Garcia grabs cloth and pulls Gaines close despite the high pad level. Garcia then torques his inside hand - which was initially placed outside before he trapped Gaines’ outside arm by going underneath the armpit of the defender. Essentially, this prevents Gaines from further flowing laterally, and there’s no obvious hold of the jersey, so it doesn’t get called. Chase Edmonds (2) runs right past Gaines for a nice gain. It was a crafty move from a savvy veteran.</p>
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<p id="RycplK">At center, Garcia does a great job on the ACE Combo block to assist his left guard in eliminating the 2i-shade. He then picks up a scrapping linebacker and removes him from his run fit while playing through the whistle and upsetting the defender.</p>
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<p id="NUGpBL">At center, Garcia feels this ACE Combo block very well as a center. He snaps the ball and leads the defender into the guard, completing the transfer; however, Garcia showed excellent processing to know there was no space to climb, so he repositioned himself squarely in front of the defender to allow the guard to climb and locate Bobby Okereke (58). The run isn’t a success, but that’s no fault of Garcia, who sealed the defender away from the gap, providing Edmonds space to operate. </p>
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<p id="dQtNjr">At center, Garcia stands up the 1-Technique, who shades towards Edmonds’ path. Garcia does a great job - despite his high pad level - of shifting his weight outside and using good grip strength to prevent the defender from closing the gap. Garcia is helped a bit by his left guard and the defender attempting to peek inside. </p>
<p id="F8NX6s">Offensive linemen must have an <em>eat-glass </em>mentality and the ability to punish defenders. Garcia can finish blocks well with authority. Here are a few plays of him doing such.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Love to see the nasty grit that Max Garcia displayed <a href="https://t.co/4ttmzPS9l1">pic.twitter.com/4ttmzPS9l1</a></p>— Nick Falato (@nickfalato) <a href="https://twitter.com/nickfalato/status/1509222724509442048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2022</a>
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<h4 id="gZJhaI">When pulling</h4>
<p id="6cdfpu">Garcia had success in space, whether that’s onscreen passes or while kicking out to remove an end man on the line of scrimmage. For a bigger guy who isn’t overly light on his feet, Garcia was good at flipping his hips and hinging players away from the outside.</p>
<div id="TPBtcw"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 54.023%;"><iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/rE3hwNvbiYYu1oGiU5" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media;"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="I5eBq8">At center, Garcia kicks out and locates Jadeveon Clowney (90). He quickly gets his hands on him and swivels his hips outside, pinning Clowney inward before using his unstable balance against him by throwing him to the deck.</p>
<div id="0HSOQi"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 54.023%;"><iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/0AnMBr6iI2h1J6nwhO" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media;"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="UDpk3Q">Here’s another play at center where Garcia kicks out to locate a smaller defender. He uses his good play strength to put the defender on the ground before finishing him off by slamming all 309 pounds on top of the defender. </p>
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<p id="hE9APn">He pulls from the right guard spot here and does a good job getting to the defender’s outside shoulder. His framing is good, but the pop-on contact is marginal, and the defender does a great job sinking his hips and exploding into the contact while extending his arms to narrow the rushing lane. Although Garcia still does enough to give Edmonds space, Leighton Vander-Esch (55) does a very good job clogging the rushing lane and preventing a big run. </p>
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<p id="LltnpI">Here’s a similar situation; from the right guard spot, Garcia locates the defender’s outside shoulder, who is attempting to use a squeeze technique to keep the rushing lane tight. Azeez Al-Shaair (51) reads the play and positions himself between the double-team down block and Garcia’s kick out to prevent James Connor (6) from finding space. Garcia’s block was good enough to provide the alley, but the defense played the run well. </p>
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<p id="wl2Y3I">At right guard, Garcia executes a trap block on the play-side 3-Technique. He has a tell pre-snap; we can see how much higher he is in his stance, and he’s just a tad off the line of scrimmage. At the snap, he explodes to the opposite side and rolls his hips through the 3-Technique, removing him from the play while driving his feet through contact.</p>
<h2 id="giJiF7">Run blocking negative</h2>
<p id="j7TYkj">The plays above are solid, and Garcia is a functional player, but he still has technical issues that prevent desired consistency. At times, Garcia pops out of his stance, presenting a big target for defenders. He also leans into contact and gets sloppy with his balance. I like how he aggressively attempts to use his hands to jolt, but - in doing so - he tries to stun, furthering his momentum forward, allowing defenders to floor him.</p>
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<p id="oPchQm">At right guard, he attempts to quickly jump on the 2i-shade. He explodes low to high with his hands following in suit, but he leans at the waist, and the defender club/swims him to the ground. Leaning in this manner is a recipe for disaster; while it wasn’t consistently on his film, it was something that seemed to happen when he was asked to move laterally on these zone blocking concepts. A bit more discipline and body control are warranted to maximize the good things he can execute. </p>
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<p id="4RCKKb">At right guard again, he blocks play-side laterally and leans too much. Angelo Blackson (90) uses a double swipe on the move to jolt and toss Garcia to the ground. The lack of balance in this situation - and the inability to embrace the contact - is concerning. His feet are clean, and it doesn’t appear as he tripped. This was an issue on his tape when run blocking. </p>
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<p id="ORUarZ">At center, Garcia does a good job getting his hands quickly on the defender here, but the defender does a better job keeping his hips low and gaining access to Garcia’s wide chest. The defender stacks him up and lifts; this prevents Garcia from gaining any power in his lower half - it’s not a great position for an offensive lineman.</p>
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<p id="m6rakX">At right guard, Garcia is typically solid with the kick-out blocks and pulls, but he dips his head into contact here, and that gave the Dallas defender an opportunity to evade and get to the mesh point. </p>
<h2 id="KG8QBX">Pass blocking</h2>
<p id="TXe3ZR">The Cardinals’ offense was predicated on promptly getting the football out of the quarterbacks’ hand. Garcia wasn’t tasked too much with one-on-one blocks that weren’t in the quick game. He had a lot of help from his teammates on deeper concepts.</p>
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<p id="Dwqc7y">Garcia is the right guard here, and he does a good job timing his outside arm punch against Arik Armstead (91). Once Garcia lands the punch, he just holds that jersey at the collar and mirrors Armstead. He then places his inside arm on the shoulder of Armstead and hand fights with positive control. </p>
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<p id="vooO7L">At right guard, he quickly jumps Armstead here and gets his outside hand inside the breastplate while wrapping his inside hand on the back of Armstead’s inside tricep. Armstead attempts to flow outside around the edge, but Garcia’s teammate is there to assist. Garcia does a good job influencing Armstead in the direction of help. </p>
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<p id="3lPKf9">At center, another smart play by Garcia in a double-mug A-Gap look against Detroit. He stabs inside from the center position but knows Edmonds will be there for blitz pickup, so he follows the linebacker and easily removes him from the play. His punch is wide, and he kind of hugs. </p>
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<p id="X5Aa9g">At right guard, Garcia recollects himself and notices a late twist from the <a href="https://www.ninersnation.com/">49ers</a> in this play. The 4i-shade explodes into the B-Gap and hits Garcia, but the veteran sees Nick Bosa (97) slanting inside; Garcia quickly passes his original assignment to the tackle and picks Bosa’s rush up well. Garcia does a good job changing direction quickly in these tight areas.</p>
<h4 id="qhXcQW">On screens</h4>
<p id="c0PHUl">Garcia does a very good job getting into space, locating, and sealing defenders away from the path of his teammates. Here’s a bunch of clips of Garcia executing screens well. </p>
<div id="nUNmj2">
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">New <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Giants?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Giants</a> OL Max Garcia in space executing blocks on screens<br><br>I will have an article on Max Garcia dropping soon for <a href="https://twitter.com/bigblueview?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bigblueview</a> <a href="https://t.co/NK8eo19y8p">pic.twitter.com/NK8eo19y8p</a></p>— Nick Falato (@nickfalato) <a href="https://twitter.com/nickfalato/status/1509216786964570119?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2022</a>
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<p id="vJ4h5L">The ability to throttle down and tempo his pace to put himself into optimal positions is an impressive trait. He seems very controlled and balanced in space, which is odd because that’s not consistent with other parts of his game, which we will see shortly. </p>
<h2 id="NMXSV4">Pass blocking negative</h2>
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<p id="9mwere">At right guard, here’s some of the ugliness of the leaning we mentioned before; at right guard, Garcia looks to block the nose tackle, who anticipates the block once the center opens outward. The nose just violently clubs Garcia’s poor posture and throws him to the ground. </p>
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<p id="kOZAmx">Attempting to set against Aaron Donald (99) as a right guard when he’s aligned as a 4-Technique is difficult, but we see the leaning and the lack of balance at the point of attack. Garcia looks at the second-level defender and notices he’s not coming, so he opens towards Donald and lunges at him. His chest is well in front of his toes, and he over-sets, allowing Donald to spin inside. To Garcia’s credit - and I love seeing this - he quickly pivots, opens his hips, and repositions himself in front of Donald. The pass is tipped, and it’s an easy interception for the Rams.</p>
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<p id="i9AmJY">Garcia oversets against the Bears at right guard and allows the defender to spin inside. The timing of the strike - along with the lateral movement in the set - was predicted by the defender and led to the counter spin that put Garcia into a bad position.</p>
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<p id="5VrZ1x">At right guard, Garcia has Donald over him as a 3-Technique; the offensive lineman pops up too high after stepping towards Donald before going into his pass set. His hands are wide, and Donald gets to the half-man relationship quickly. Donald pulls the outside shoulder, sending Garcia downward, creating the necessary separation to sack Kyler Murray (1). </p>
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<p id="ygGewc">At right guard, Garcia is way too high and not in a position to withstand or hold up at the point of contact. As he strikes, his hips rise, and he doesn’t do a great job framing the block. He gives the pass-rusher an alley outside, and Murray is hurried to throw the ball.</p>
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<p id="TTIjtn">At right guard, a strong stab with his outside arm initially lands, but Armstead times Garcia’s punch so well to break the contact at the elbow. The stab is risky with no help outside due to that reason. He attempts to short-set and stab, but Armstead was more efficient and put Garcia into a tough spot. Armstead sacked Colt McCoy (12), but a penalty was called for a face mask. </p>
<h4 id="AJ1UyD">Anchor</h4>
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<p id="WFt6iJ">At right guard, Garcia’s anchor is adequate at best. The play above is against Aaron Donald for perspective, but he completely gets put on ice skates. When a player’s pad level and hips are too high, this is an inevitable outcome against top talent or strong bull-rushers. </p>
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<p id="7le51B">He gets walked back here at right guard. A quick stutter step raises Garcia’s pad level - something that happened too much on tape. The indecision of the defender’s direction leads to more exposure and more vulnerability for Garcia. The defender strikes the offensive lineman in the chest and drives him back. </p>
<h2 id="sNRmai">Final thoughts</h2>
<p id="WXaiK5">Garcia is a veteran player who can start if necessary. He’s not a huge difference-maker but a quick processor who is deceptively good in space. He does a solid job kicking the EMOLOS out in power/gap concepts. The balance issues, lack of an elite anchor, and propensity to lean into contact when on the line of scrimmage on more challenging angles are vulnerabilities on his tape. I wouldn’t say he’s great at anything.</p>
<p id="Mrr1D4">Like most of the Giants additions, he’s a functional player. He may start at left guard, but that depends on the development of Shane Lemieux post-injury. I believe his best tape in 2021 was at center. If Feliciano doesn’t work out, now the Giants have another player on their roster with center experience. New York can still address the interior offensive line in the draft, but now they won’t feel obligated to do so just for functionality this season.</p>
<p id="1Mx0Ql">Regardless of Garcia’s starting status, this is another quality, inexpensive move to add depth to the Giants’ most significant liability over the last decade. </p>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/31/23003589/film-review-max-garcia-is-he-a-starter-for-giants-revamped-olNick Falato2022-03-29T13:30:55-04:002022-03-29T13:30:55-04:002022 NFL free agency: Patriots signing Jabrill Peppers, per report
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<img alt="NFL: AUG 25 New England Patriots New York Giants Joint Training Camp" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/R4_DlVy2h9TN9b7Hqw-P5kZvmeU=/0x0:3900x2600/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70680525/1234887588.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Peppers will reunite with Joe Judge</p> <p id="4i67oY">Former New York Giants safety Jabrill Peppers is signing with the New England Patriots, per a published report.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Former Giants’ safety Jabrill Peppers reached agreement on a one-year deal with the New England Patriots, per <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeReiss?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MikeReiss</a> and me. Peppers tore his ACL last season and is expected to be ready for the start of training camp.</p>— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1508856220467224593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2022</a>
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<p id="OZJVA9">ESPN NFL insider Field Yates is reporting that the <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">New England Patriots</a> will be hosting former New York Giants safety Jabrill Peppers for a visit on Monday. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Patriots are hosting former Giants and Browns S Jabrill Peppers on a visit today, per source.<br><br>Peppers played for Joe Judge in 2020-2021, so there’s familiarity already. <br><br>The 26-year old brings plenty of defensive versatility, something New England always covets.</p>— Field Yates (@FieldYates) <a href="https://twitter.com/FieldYates/status/1508422536996044808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2022</a>
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<p id="YiDbCT">The Giants originally acquired Peppers as the “final piece” in a complex 2019 trade with the <a href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/">Cleveland Browns</a>. </p>
<p id="sQ5Cwb">Peppers was largely used as a box safety for the Giants, a stark change from the deep middle field safety role he played under Gregg Williams for the Browns. The move closer to the line of scrimmage benefitted Peppers, and he began to realize some of the potential that made him a first-round pick in 2017. </p>
<p id="B8SwQ2">The former 25th overall pick had the best year of his career under Patrick Graham in 2020, when he recorded 91 total tackles, 8 tackles for a loss, 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble, 11 passes defensed and an interception. Unfortunately, Peppers struggled to stay healthy with the Giants, with a fractured tailbone limiting him to 11 games in 2019, a pedal ankle sprain forcing him to miss 2 games in 2020, and a torn ACL limiting him to just six games in 2021.</p>
<p id="ebzWEt">Peppers was voted a team captain on the special teams unit in 2020, and signing with the Patriots would reunite Peppers with Joe Judge. </p>
<p id="6S6J2M">The big question, at least from the Giants’ perspective, the size of a potential contract. Former Giants departing in free agency haven’t received the kind of big contracts that earn their team significant compensatory picks. The biggest contracts signed have been Evan Engram (one year, $9 million), Austin Johnson (two years, $14 million), Lorenzo Carter (one year, $3.5 million), and Keion Crossen (3 years, $9.5 million). </p>
<p id="b5Xs5O">A good contract for Peppers could help tip the financial scales more heavily in the Giants’ favor in the complicated compensatory pick formula.</p>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/28/22999669/2022-nfl-free-agency-patriots-to-host-jabrill-peppers-per-report-newsChris Pflum2022-03-28T14:04:20-04:002022-03-28T14:04:20-04:00NFL free agency 2022: Will Hernandez signs with the Arizona Cardinals
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<img alt="Arizona Cardinals v&nbsp;New York Giants" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RwVd8SoO7oWTEFAVFh6t46wkFdM=/0x0:3730x2487/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70681632/1183671079.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Giants essentially swap linemen with Cardinals by signing Max Garcia</p> <p id="R7Oi1c">On the same day the <a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">New York Giants</a> signed former Arizona Cardinal IOL Max Garcia, the <a href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/">Arizona Cardinals</a> add former New York Giant IOL Will Hernandez. </p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AZCardinals?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AZCardinals</a> are expected to sign former <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Giants?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Giants</a> G Will Hernandez, source says. The 2018 second-round pick reunites with Cards OL coach Sean Kugler, his college line coach.</p>— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeGarafolo/status/1508482303856713732?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2022</a>
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<p id="RpAAnv">Hernandez was the 34th overall selection in the 2018 <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft">NFL Draft</a>. He started his career with a promising rookie season, but it was all down hill from there. Hernandez was maddeningly inconsistent from 2019 to 2021. </p>
<p id="qQsvfd">He was benched during the 2020 season in favor of rookie fifth-round pick Shane Lemieux. Many, including myself, presumed Hernandez contracting COVID-19 in 2020 led to the benching and that he’d bounce back in 2021, but he unfortunately had his worst season last year. </p>
<p id="bsDO9j">Simple twists towards Hernandez gave him a lot of trouble. He allowed seven sacks and 36 pressures in 2021. He ended his four-year stint with the Giants allowing 15 sacks and 121 pressures. His career in New York was disappointing, but maybe he can rekindle the promise he displayed in 2018 by reuniting with his college coach. </p>
<p id="GTL5pK">Coincidentally, the Giants on <a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/28/22999958/nfl-free-agency-2022-g-max-garcia-signs-with-ny-giants">Monday announced the signing</a> of former Cardinals’ interior offensive lineman Max Garcia.</p>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/28/23000051/nfl-free-agency-2022-will-hernandez-signs-with-the-arizona-cardinalsNick Falato2022-03-28T12:13:56-04:002022-03-28T12:13:56-04:00NFL free agency 2022: OL Max Garcia signs with Giants
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<figcaption>Max Garcia | Photo by Amy Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Joe Schoen continues adding veteran offensive linemen</p> <p id="gC0hL6">Offensive lineman Max Garcia, who has started 52 of 93 regular-season games, is signing with the <a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">New York Giants</a>. The team made that news official Monday afternoon.</p>
<p id="q6qcuN">Garcia, 30, has primarily played left and right guard in a seven-year career with the <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com">Denver Broncos</a> and <a href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/">Arizona Cardinals</a>. He played center last season with Arizona for the first time, logging 297 of his 864 offensive snaps at that spot. Garcia started 11 games in 2021, logging an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 54.3.</p>
<p id="iAJjIZ">Garcia was a fourth-round pick by the Cardinals in 2015. Garcia has made 39 regular-season starts at left guard, nine at right guard, and four at center. His postseason start was at right guard.</p>
<p id="EK4TmQ">This signing continues GM Joe Schoen’s emphasis on signing low-cost offensive linemen, particularly on the interior. The Giants have signed Garcia, center Jon Feliciano, guard Mark Glowinski, guard Jamil Douglas and offensive tackle Matt Gono. They also re-signed offensive tackle Korey Cunningham.</p>
<p id="uxYw4n">The only bigger contract in that group was a three-year, $18.3 million deal given to Glowinski.</p>
<p id="TJXVDq">Before the report of this signing, Over The Cap showed the Giants with only $1.255 million in salary cap space. </p>
<p id="1V39Cm">As of now, the Giants offensive line likely looks something like this:</p>
<p id="QWsEru">LT — Andrew Thomas<br>LG — Shane Lemieux, Ben Bredeson, Garcia<br>C — Feliciano with Garcia as the backup<br>RG — Glowinski<br>RT — Gono, Cunningham, Matt Peart (if he is healthy)<br>Reserves — Jamil Douglas, Wes Martin</p>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/28/22999958/nfl-free-agency-2022-g-max-garcia-signs-with-ny-giantsEd Valentine2022-03-25T09:15:00-04:002022-03-25T09:15:00-04:002022 NFL free agency - Giants sign WR Richie James Jr.
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<figcaption>Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Giants add depth to their special teams and receiving corps</p> <p id="8fJD0I">The <a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">New York Giants</a> have announced that they have agreed to terms with returner and wide receiver Richie James Jr.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Reports: We've agreed to terms with WR/Return Specialist Richie James Jr.<br><br> : <a href="https://t.co/zndm6c7ssR">https://t.co/zndm6c7ssR</a> <a href="https://t.co/O0i24lFGRt">pic.twitter.com/O0i24lFGRt</a></p>— New York Giants (@Giants) <a href="https://twitter.com/Giants/status/1507334231390711814?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2022</a>
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<p id="hNN2c0">James Jr. was originally drafted by the <a href="https://www.ninersnation.com/">San Francisco 49ers</a> out of Middle Tennessee in the seventh round of the 2018 <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft">NFL Draft</a>. </p>
<p id="HDBzOQ">He was primarily a returner for the 49ers, with 51 punt returns and 47 kick returns in his three years with San Francisco. James averaged 7.3 yards per punt return, with a long of 32, and 23.0 yards per kick return, including one 97-yard return for a touchdown in 2018. James saw some use as a receiver in 2020, with 23 receptions on 35 targets for 394 yards (17.1 per catch) and a touchdown. Much of that came in a game against the <a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/">Green Bay Packers</a> on Thursday Night Football in which James caught 9 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown. </p>
<p id="4LTvoK">James was waived with an injured designation on August 28th of 2021, and was placed on the injured reserve following knee surgery. </p>
<p id="LldJ2C">The Giants re-signed special teams ace and WR C.J. Board on March 14th, and the two could be in direct competition for a roster spot. </p>
<p id="pjd4ps">Regardless, this is a low-cost move that should help the Giants improve their offensive depth and potentially find a long-term answer for punt and kick returns. </p>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/25/22996031/2022-nfl-free-agency-ny-giants-sign-wr-richie-james-jr-newsChris Pflum2022-03-23T17:32:28-04:002022-03-23T17:32:28-04:002022 NFL free agency: Giants sign DL Justin Ellis
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<figcaption>Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Ellis spent the last three seasons with Wink Martindale in Baltimore</p> <p id="VwwggO">The <a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">New York Giants</a> have signed Justin Ellis, a 31-year-old 6-foot-2, 334-pound defensive lineman. Ellis spent the last three seasons with Don “Wink” Martindale in Baltimore. The signing is a one-year deal. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Giants?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Giants</a> are signing former <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ravens?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ravens</a> DT Justin Ellis, source said, giving him a 1-year deal. More familiarity for DC Wink Martindale, who had him in Baltimore.</p>— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1506695138000654339?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2022</a>
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<p id="i9ZlV8">Ellis, 31, was originally drafted by the (then Oakland) <a href="https://www.silverandblackpride.com/">Las Vegas Raiders</a> in the fourth round of the 2014 <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft">NFL Draft</a>. He was released by the Raiders in October 2019 and quickly landed with the <a href="https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/">Baltimore Ravens</a> and Martindale.</p>
<p id="0U4vYD">He was a rotational defensive lineman with the ability to play nose tackle. Martindale used his frame to stack and disguise smaller linebackers who would blitz from the second level. </p>
<p id="bvw8nR">Ellis would also align as a 3/4i-Technique in passing situations where he would crash the B-gap, distracting blockers, providing favorable matchups for his teammates. However, his primary usage was as a nose tackle when Martindale brought four (<em>no blitz</em>). </p>
<p id="EBvIP9">Ellis has one career sack in 2017 as a member of the Raiders. He’s not a dynamic player, but a veteran who knows the system. He’ll be behind Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams in the Giants defensive line pecking order. </p>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2022/3/23/22993191/2022-nfl-free-agency-ny-giants-sign-dl-justin-ellis-baltimore-ravens-newsNick Falato