New York Giants Rumors: Jared Odrick An Option If Johnathan Hankins Leaves
New York Giants Rumors: If Johnathan Hankins leaves in free agency, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport believes the Giants could replace him with Jared Odrick.
New York Giants rumors continue to pop up as free agency rolls along and the 2017 NFL Draft draws near. The Giants have done well given their salary cap situation heading into the offseason.
They have been able to fill holes on the roster with sound signings that don’t break the bank; the only major contract the Giants gave out was to Jason Pierre-Paul, who received the franchise tag. Once the two sides were able to hammer out a long-term extension, the Giants freed up some money to continue filling out the roster for this season.
Add in the restructuring of Dwayne Harris and the Giants have a little more money to spend. They would love to put that money towards retaining defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins.
Hankins came into free agency hoping to land a lucrative long-term deal. But, he has been met with a stone-cold market. He has drawn very little interest as a free agent. Only the Miami Dolphins are known to have talked to Hankins this offseason.
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The longer that Hankins is on the market, the more likely he is to return to the Giants. ESPN New York’s Jordan Raanan put the odds at 50/50 for Hankins to return last week. There are other things to do this offseason, so the Giants want an answer from Hankins.
New York has an offer on the table that Hankins has been looking to top during free agency. He has not been able to, and the Giants are tired of waiting. They want Hankins to respond to their contract offer.
There are a lot of positives to Hankins re-upping with the Giants. If he decides not to, the Giants have to get to work finding a replacement. This late into free agency there aren’t many options to replace Hankins with. One player to keep an eye on is Jared Odrick.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said that Odrick is one player to watch as a replacement for Hankins should he leave the Giants. Rapoport said that Odrick has only made one visit, with the New Englan Patriots, and passed his physical. That should mean a market developing for the veteran soon.
FA DE Jared Odrick, who passed a physical on his #Patriots visit, is one to watch on if #Giants don’t get Hankins back. He’ll take visits
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 20, 2017
Odrick spent the past two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars after being selected by the Miami Dolphins in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Odrick played only six games for the Jaguars in 2016 and got released with a failed physical designation.
Reportedly passing his physical with the Patriots would signal that he is healthy, or at least trending in the right direction. Odrick graded out well in multiple seasons prior to signing a big-money deal with the Jaguars as a free agent in 2015. At 29-years old, he could sign a one-year deal this offseason to rehab his value and hit the market again next year to try and land one more long-term deal.
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If Hankins leaves, Odrick is a worthwhile gamble for the Giants, and the Giants are a solid landing spot for Odrick. He would be playing in what could be a very dominant defense. Playing alongside players such as Pierre-Paul, Olivier Vernon, and Damon Harrison will open up opportunities to produce for any player.