Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

New York Giants: Veteran Linebacker Trade Target Revealed

Originally posted on Gridiron Heroics
By Jackson Loschko | Last updated Apr 1, 2026 3:23 PM ET

The New York Giants have looked to improve the off-ball linebacker position following the release of Bobby Okereke. So far, New York has signed two-time Pro Bowler Tremaine Edmunds and special teamer Cam Jones and re-signed Micah McFadden. Edmunds spent the last three years with the Chicago Bears and recorded 112 tackles and four interceptions in 2025, while Jones spent 2025 with the Jets and recorded five tackles, and McFadden suffered a season-ending Lisfranc injury in Week 1. These three players join Darius Muasau, Zaire Barnes, and Swayze Bozeman as the six linebackers currently under contract.

This comes as the Giants were reportedly interested in a veteran linebacker before free agency.

The New York Giants were interested in acquiring a veteran LB

Jordan Raanan of ESPN reported on his YouTube channel a few weeks ago that the Giants reportedly attempted to acquire a veteran linebacker via trade before free agency, with many speculating it was San Francisco 49ers superstar Fred Warner. The talks fell through because the unidentified player did not want to leave and was getting towards the end of his NFL career. Ultimately, the team settled for Tremaine Edmunds.

“Giants definitely did try to trade for a linebacker, I heard,” Raanan said.

“And the story I heard was that said linebacker didn’t really want to go, and the trade kind of broke apart. It’s a guy that’s getting towards the end of his career, and it just didn’t work out.”

The Giants’ veteran linebacker trade target has been revealed

Jan 21, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill (23) against the Buffalo Bills in the 2024 AFC divisional round game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

During a recent appearance on the Breaking Big Blue Podcast, Jordan Raanan revealed the identity of the veteran linebacker the Giants attempted to trade for before the start of free agency. The player was 30-year-old Kansas City Chiefs’ starter Drue Tranquill. Both teams were close to reaching a deal, but Tranquill did not want to leave Kansas City, which led to the talks falling apart and him taking a sizeable pay cut.

“The linebacker that the Giants actually were going to trade for, from the Kansas City Chiefs — it seemed to be before the start of free agency — Drue Tranquill,” Raanan said. “He ended up staying in Kansas City, taking a pay cut to stay. Seems to be something he wanted to do. He didn’t want to leave there.”

This article first appeared on Gridiron Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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