5 teams that should sign Olivier Vernon
New York was a team that popped up in rumors as soon as Vernon’s transition tag was removed, and there seems to be some mutual interest between the two sides. The Giants need more from its defensive line in 2016, and Vernon would be a nice fit at a position of need.
The defense looked to be a problem entering last season as New York’s talent level dipped from previous years, and the unit was indeed a major reason for its 6-10 mark. While the Giants actually fielded one of the top offenses in the NFL, the defense allowed 27.6 points per game to rank only ahead of Jacksonville and New Orleans.
New York’s pass rush was a major factor behind those poor numbers, as it racked up only 23 sacks, again ranking 30th in the NFL. While the Giants were able to retain Jason Pierre-Paul, top pass rusher Robert Ayers may be heading elsewhere in free agency, making defensive end the biggest area of weakness for the team.
Vernon would replace Ayers’ production and more, adding an impact talent at the top of a thin depth chart. It’s unclear how productive Pierre-Paul will be moving forward, but a combination of him at full strength plus Vernon would be very intimidating for opposing quarterbacks.
The Giants have one of the best cap space situations in the NFL with around $47 million to work with, so a Vernon deal is easily attainable. New York has already shored up its secondary by adding Janoris Jenkins, and will be a playoff contender once again if it can land a couple more free agents on defense.
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