The New York Giants have a few crucial position battles brewing ahead of training camp. One of the less talked about positions is the second inside linebacker spot. Blake Martinez will continue to be the team’s starting linebacker, but behind him, there could be a competition. There are some young talents who could fight for the position, but the Giants could also turn toward free agency. Danny Trevathan and Jon Bostic are two free agent linebackers that could be signed to compete for the Giants’ second linebacker position.
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What Danny Trevathan could bring to the Giants
Danny Trevathan is an experienced veteran that has played ten seasons in the NFL. He spent the early portion of his career with the Denver Broncos before signing with the Chicago Bears and played there from 2016 to 2021. Now Danny Trevathan is sitting on the open market waiting to be signed ahead of training camp and the Giants could be a good fit.
Trevathan was rotating with Alec Ogletree behind Roquan Smith in 2021. That was until Danny Trevathan suffered a season-ending ACL injury in November. Prior to his injury, Trevathan totaled 19 combined tackles and one tackle for loss in five games. He played a full 16-game season in 2020 and was productive, totaling 113 combined tackles as the Chicago Bears’ second linebacker. If the Giants were to sign Danny Trevathan, they would hope to see him match his production from 2020 while playing second to Blake Martinez.
Blake Martinez also suffered a season-ending ACL tear last season. There could be some hesitancy to sign another linebacker coming off of injury from the Giants. However, veteran players can provide a team with consistent and reliable performances, something the Giants might need.
- New York Giants: Ranking the top 3 position battles for training camp
- Why the New York Giants are primed for a quick rebuild
- The Giants upgraded the right guard position in a big way
What Jon Bostic could bring to the Giants
Jon Bostic is another veteran free agent linebacker coming off of a season-ending injury in 2021. Bostic was with Washington from 2019 to 2021 but is now available as a free agent. Once again, the Giants could be looking for a free agent linebacker, and Jon Bostic could fit the bill.
Jon Bostic totaled 22 combined tackles and 1 tackle for loss in 4 games last season. In 2019 and 2020, however, he played full 16-game seasons and totaled over 100 combined tackles both years. Bostic also recorded one interception in each of those seasons and one sack in 2019 and three sacks in 2020.
When healthy, Bostic is a productive and reliable defender. He is usually healthy, though he did deal with a serious pec injury in 2021. If Jon Bostic is healthy now, the Giants should consider signing him as the second linebacker in their defense. The Giants have a lot of youth on their roster and it would not hurt to acquire some extra veteran defenders before the start of the season.
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