Another offseason and once again defensive end Osi Umenyiora is in the news trying to get a new contract with the New York Giants. Umenyiora who is in the last year of his contract has been adamant that the Giants’ general manager Jerry Reese promised him a new contract if his performance stayed at a high level.
The Giants have refused to budge on a new contract though and Umenyiora has decided to play out the last year of his contract and become a free agent next year unless the Giants offer him a lucrative contract extension.
Umenyiora recently suggested that the Giants may trade him which many believe is likely to happen. The Giants are pretty deep on their defensive line and will be looking to lock up defensive linemen Jason Pierre-Paul and Justin Tuck to contract extensions soon. They will also look to sign wide receivers Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks also.
Umenyiora on the other hand will be 31 in November so the team may not be looking to sign him to anything long-term. They may not be willing to wait and let him walk away next year either. Trading him now is the only way to assure they will get some compensation for him leaving.
So with that in mind here are the five teams that should seek a trade for Umenyiora:
5. St. Louis Rams
The Rams are looking to be a much stronger defensive unit under head coach Jeff Fisher and Umenyiora would make a nice bookend to match with defensive end Chris Long. Long had 13 sacks operating from the left side but could have used a little more help getting to the quarterback.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars were a top-ten team versus both the run and the pass last year but Jeremy Mincey was the only player who was able to consistently generate a pass-rush. Umenyiora would help make the Jaguars’ ball-hawking defenders more effective.
3. Tennessee Titans
The Titans had the second lowest sack total in the league last season. They will be looking to upgrade their pass rush through the draft but there doesn’t look to be any prospects in the draft that would make an immediate impact. With that being said, Umenyiora would be a major upgrade and give them time to develop any players they may acquire on draft day.
2. Carolina Panthers
Charles Johnson was their only competent pass-rusher last season so Umenyiora would be a great addition to this team. The Panthers were pitiful in nearly every aspect of their defense but getting to the quarterback is mandatory in a division where you have to face both Matt Ryan and Drew Brees twice a year.
1. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons are in win-now mode and although they weren’t active in the Mario Williams sweepstakes they may be interested in bringing in Umenyiora to play alongside John Abraham. Umenyiora already resides in Atlanta having moved there before the start of last season and although the Falcons don’t have a lot of cap room, they probably wouldn’t mind cutting some of the dead weight on their roster if it would improve their defense.
Roosevelt Hall is an NFL Blogger for The Sport Mentalist and an NBA Blogger for The Sport Mentalist 2. He is also a Sports Reporter for Pro Sports Lives. He can be contacted at RHall_TPFB@Yahoo.com and be sure to follow him on Twitter @sportmentalist.
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April 26, 2012
