After a lull in the New York Giants offseason, business picked up for Big Blue on Thursday with a flurry of roster moves, both coming and going.
Aside from speculation on whether or not the New York Giants would be trading their superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., there’s been little news surrounding the Giants over the last few days.
But that was not the case on Thursday as they signed veteran cornerback William Gay, and lost two of their players via free agency in wide receiver Tavarres King and safety Nat Berhe.
The 33-year-old Gay has spent 10-of-his-11 NFL seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Over those 11 seasons, he’s registered 571 tackles, intercepted 13 passes, and scored five defensive touchdowns.
Last season, Gay had 19 tackles, one interception, three passes defended and two forced fumbles.
Gay is a good player to have in the locker room as he was named Pittsburgh’s 2014 Walter Payton Man of the Year for his efforts on and off the field. He was the recipient of the Steelers’ Ed Block Courage Award in 2015.
He’ll likely compete for the nickel corner position which is up grabs following the Giants releasing Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
Gay is just the latest defensive back the Giants have acquired this offseason. They’ve already added Michael Thomas, B.W. Webb, Curtis Riley and Teddy Williams. In the NFL, you can never have too much depth and this will make for some interesting position battles during training camp.
While the Giants acquired a former Steelers defensive back, they lost one of their own as hard-hitting safety Nat Berhe signed with the Steelers.
Berhe was drafted by the Giants in the fifth round of the 2014 draft (152nd overall). He played primarily on special teams, but injuries limited him to just 38 games. He closes out his Giants career with 47 tackles and one sack.
The Giants also lost receiver Tavarres King, who signed a deal with the Minnesota Vikings.
Injuries to the receiving corps increased King’s playing time last year, resulting in a career-best 18 receptions for 240 yards and three touchdowns.