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NFL Free Agency: New York Giants, New York Jets Bolster Defensive Lines

By Kenneth Teape

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NFL Free Agency: New York Giants and New York Jets Strengthen D-Lines

While the NFL Draft is quickly approaching, there are still some needs for teams that can be filled in free agency. For the New York Giants and New York Jets, that is exactly what happened Friday. Both the Giants and Jets made depth signings along the defensive line, continuing to try and fill the gaps on their roster.

The Giants signed another player they are familiar with, as former Dallas Cowboy George Selvie will now be suiting up in Giants’ blue instead of Cowboys blue. The Giants will be Selvie’s fifth team since he came into the NFL in 2010. Prior to playing for the Cowboys the past two seasons, Selvie was a member of the St. Louis Rams, Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Selvie had been a rotational player in each stop prior to the Cowboys, where he started 29 of the 32 games he played in for the team. He was a strong pass rusher, recording 10 sacks the past two seasons with the Cowboys, which is what drew the attention of the Giants. Big Blue is desperate for some pass rushers, and Selvie will deliver that.

With Steve Spagnuolo back at the helm of the defense, the Giants are showing where their priorities are; getting a pass rush. When Spagnuolo was previously defensive coordinator of the Giants, their bread and butter was in the pass rush. They will try to get back to that by compiling pass rushers, and Selvie will help in attaining that goal.

With the Giants, Selvie will be returning to a familiar position as a bookend to Jason Pierre-Paul. Selvie and Pierre-Paul were the starting defensive ends for South Florida prior to both of them being selected in the 2010 NFL Draft.

There is a chance Selvie could return to starting alongside Pierre-Paul, as only Pierre-Paul and Johnathan Hankins have spots locked up along the Giants defensive line. Selvie will be joining Damontre Moore, Robert Ayers and Kerry Wynn in competition for snaps at the other defensive end spot. They could also find some playing time at defensive tackle, as Spagnuolo will more than likely bring back his NASCAR pass rush package that consisted of four defensive ends along the defensive line attacking the quarterback.

It will be a one-year deal worth $1.4 million for Selvie from the Giants, with $200,000 worth of signing bonus according to Adam Schefter. A one year deal is also what Kevin Vickerson will be receiving from the Jets, as he was signed Friday as well.

Vickerson most recently was a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, replacing former Jet Mike DeVito, who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the season opener. Prior to that, Vickerson played for the Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans and Miami Dolphins.

The signing of Vickerson was necessitated with last season’s rotation tackle Kenrick Ellis moving on and signing with the Giants. Vickerson is essentially an older version of Ellis, as the 32-year old is as much of a mountain of a man, standing 6-feet-5 inches tall and weighing 328 pounds.

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Vickerson is mostly a first and second down player as a run stuffing defensive end in a 3-4 defense. He will provide the Jets with some veteran depth behind Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson and Damon Harrison much in the way that Ellis has the past couple of seasons.

For the Giants, Selvie continues an offseason of signing players that will fill a rotational need but won’t jump out at fans because they lack name recognition. After having a flashy offseason, the Jets are now beginning to fill holes in their depth chart with players like Vickerson. The Giants and Jets have had drastically different offseasons in terms of money, but both are still filling needs and improving their rosters.

Next: Who Is Closer To A Title, The New York Giants or New York Jets?

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