The New York Giants have a decision to make at linebacker before March 13th. Bobby Okereke’s $3 million roster bonus comes due that day, forcing the front office to declare whether a player who posted a 45.5 PFF run-defense grade in 2025 is worth a $14.5 million cap hit — the eighth-highest among all linebackers in the NFL.
If they cut him, they would bank the $9 million in savings — which could then be used to sign Eagles LB Nakobe Dean.
Nakobe Dean is an “Underpriced” Free Agent the Giants Could Pursue
NFL.com’s Kevin Patra flagged Dean as one of the most underpriced free agents of the 2026 offseason. The Giants are a natural landing spot for Dean in free agency.
“The defender hasn’t played a full slate since 2017, missing 21 missed regular-season games over the past three seasons alone, and was out for most of Philly’s Super Bowl run in 2024. Teams generally shy away from spending big on players with long-term durability questions, which could put Dean on a short-term prove-it path,” Patra wrote of Dean.
Despite concerns over his durability, Dean could be a low-risk, high-reward signing for the Giants to target in free agency. When he is healthy, Dean is an uber-athletic off-ball linebacker who has upside as a pass-rusher and the ability to be an enforcer against the run.
Why Dean Is Exactly What Harbaugh’s Defense Needs
John Harbaugh and new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson are building a defense rooted in the Ravens’ culture — athletic, instinctive linebackers who can patrol the middle, get after the quarterback, and operate in a system that demands football IQ. During Harbaugh’s time in Baltimore, he coached the likes of Ray Lewis, C.J. Mosley, and Roquan Smith. That’s the lineage Harbaugh has always built around. He will prioritize an athletic inside linebacker.
Nakobe Dean fits that profile as well as anyone available this offseason. In four seasons with the Eagles, the 25-year-old racked up 7.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss from the off-ball linebacker position — playmaking production that most inside backers don’t come close to.
From Weeks 10 through 16 last season alone, he generated nine quick pressures in under 2.5 seconds on just 21 pass rush attempts, the most among off-ball linebackers during that stretch. And in coverage, he held up — among linebackers targeted at least 15 times in 2025, he allowed just a 58.3 percent completion rate, ranking fifth-lowest in the league.
That’s the kind of two-way linebacker that makes Dennard Wilson’s scheme tick.
Should the Giants Cut Bobby Okereke?
Meanwhile, the Giants have to make a decision on Bobby Okereke, who was once viewed as a foundational piece in their defense after an impressive 2023 campaign.
But Okereke’s 2023 season with the Giants was a career outlier. He posted 149 tackles, 2.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and didn’t miss a single snap all year. It looked like a steal at four years, $40 million. However, that season has begun to look like lightning in a bottle, not a baseline.
The 2024 and 2025 versions of Okereke were a different story. His PFF tackling grade cratered to 50.2 last season. His run-defense mark hit 45.5 — a number that ranks him among the worst starters in the league at that discipline. He now carries a lofty cap hit of $14.5 million in 2026.
The Athletic’s Dan Duggan called this the Giants’ biggest cap decision of the offseason, and he’s right. Cutting Okereke creates $9 million in relief while absorbing $5.5 million in dead money — and with a $3 million roster bonus due March 13th, the Giants can’t delay this decision. The clock is ticking.
Releasing Okereke would, however, essentially be opening another hole to fill. But signing Dean could fill it at a cheaper cost with higher performance potential.
The Giants have $6.9 million in current cap space, but cutting Okereke could open up $9 million more. That’s enough runway to put a legitimate offer in front of Dean before the bidding gets out of hand. Spotrac projects Dean’s market value at $7.9 million per season. A two-year deal in the $16-18 million range with a modest guarantee structure is achievable and responsible. If his medicals check out, the Giants could get aggressive.
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