Good Morning, New York Giants Fans!
The New York Giants enjoyed a surprisingly solid performance from linebacker David Mayo on Thursday night against the New England Patriots, as he recorded several stops on third down and even contributed in two turnovers on downs against Tom Brady.
However, that doesn’t mean the Giants shouldn’t be in hot pursuit over former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defender, Deone Bucannon. The James Bettcher product enjoyed his best seasons with the current Giants defensive coordinator. Bucannon racked up 82 combined tackles, one interception, two forced fumbles and two tackles for a loss over 12 games in 2017. That was his final season with Bettcher before the DC joined the Giants.
His familiarity with the system makes him a glaring gem for Big Blue and general manager Dave Gettleman, even after signing running back Javorius Allen. The available cap-space might hinder Gettleman’s ability to sign Bucannon, who was on a one-year, $2.5 million deal with the Bucs before being released. The reason he was let go is that the Bucs will now earn a third-round compensatory pick next draft — it wasn’t play related.
With Alec Ogletree, Tae Davis, and Nate Stupar featuring at the linebacker position alongside Mayo, the Giants are not secure in the middle of the defense whatsoever. They must upgrade the position eventually, which is why taking a flier on Bucannon is a great idea.
The issue is available cap-space, as the Giants are now down to around $2 million and will be reluctant to spend a majority of it on signing a linebacker for half the season. For argument’s sake, giving him a chance is not a bad idea considering the success he has had in the past with Bettcher. If he proves to be successful once again, extending him for next season would be a great move, especially considering how cost-effective he would be for a starter.
Nonetheless–
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