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New York Giants Have Meeting Set With Defensive End Charles Johnson

By Kenneth Teape

Jan 24, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive end Charles Johnson (95) on the field during warm-ups prior to the game between the Carolina Panthers and the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship football game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 24, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive end Charles Johnson (95) on the field during warm-ups prior to the game between the Carolina Panthers and the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship football game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New York Giants will be getting a head start on free agency, as they have a meeting with free agent defensive end Charles Johnson today.

The New York Giants have a couple of areas that they will look to shore up on their roster this offseason to put themselves in position for a better 2016 season than 2015 one. One of those areas is the pass rush, where the Giants will be looking to add some juice to a team that was unable to generate much pressure on opposing quarterbacks last season.

Because of that, defensive end will be atop the Giants wish list of positions to add players at this offseason. Luckily for the Giants there are a number of defensive end options available outside of their own two free agents, Jason Pierre-Paul and Robert Ayers. While the Giants will look to retain those players, they will also work the market to try and add more pieces.

One of the players that the Giants will be looking to potentially sign is defensive end Charles Johnson, who was released by the Carolina Panthers to clear some cap space. According to Jordan Ranaan of NJ.com, a meeting has been set up between the Giants and Johnson for today, a visit that was first reported by ESPN’s Josina Anderson.

Johnson was set to count $15 million against the cap for the Panthers in 2016, a number too high for a player that battled a hamstring injury throughout the season and registered only one sack.

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But, he had a strong postseason once he got healthier, piling up three sacks during the Panthers’ Super Bowl run. He is also considered a strong locker room presence and leader in the Panthers locker room, something the Giants could certainly use more of with leaders such as Antrel Rolle, Justin Tuck. Osi Umenyiora and Mathias Kiwanuka leaving the team in recent offseasons.

Johnson would also add some juice to a Giants pass rush that has been lacking. Prior to the injury plagued 2015, Johnson played in at least 14 games and had at least 8.5 sacks in four consecutive seasons. That is production the Giants could really use, as they have only had Pierre-Paul as a consistent pass rushing threat in the past couple of seasons.

While the Giants have a meeting set up with Johnson, another player to keep an eye on is Mario Williams, who was released by the Buffalo Bills. He is also coming off a down year, but is someone that has produced well in recent seasons and would be an upgrade for the Giants. Both players are eligible to sign prior to free agency, as they were released by their teams, so they do not have to wait for their contracts to expire next week.

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Upgrading the pass rush is something that will be imperative for the Giants this offseason. Getting a head start on that prior to free agency starting by landing Johnson or Williams, or retaining one of their own free agents, would be a good way to set the tone for March.

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