New York Giants Offseason: Reviewing the Defensive End Position
By Sean Dyer
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Free Agency: Charles Johnson, Alex Okafor
Considering the New York Giants are already paying OV and JPP a ton of money, they will likely look to the draft to fill reserve defensive end roles.
If they’re going to open their wallets on the free agent market, however, it will likely be to bring in a familiar player. Charles Johnson played under Dave Gettleman in Carolina and Alex Okafor played under James Bettcher in Arizona.
Johnson has played his entire 12-year career in Carolina and was a captain for the Panthers. However, after the Panthers cut Johnson a little over a week ago, he’ll be looking for a new home. He would be a veteran leader in the Giants locker room and could be a situational pass rusher if he has anything left in the tank.
Okafor played for Bettcher when he was the Cardinals outside linebackers coach in 2013-2014 and when he was the defensive coordinator in 2015-2016. Okafor had a career-high 8.0 sacks in 2014 but just 5.5 sacks over the next two seasons. As a member of the Saints in 2017, Okafor had 4.5 through 10 games before getting injured. Bettcher could see Okafor as a fit in his scheme as an edge rusher and Okafor’s injury could keep him in New York’s price range.