The New York Giants are reportedly interested in outside linebacker Leonard Floyd, who was recently released by the Chicago Bears.
On Tuesday, the Chicago Bears decided to release one of their better defensive weapons in Leonard Floyd. The team originally drafted him with the No. 9 overall pick in 2016. Floyd played 54 total games (all starts) in four years with the Bears.
So where does he go from here? Well, teams are obviously showing interest in his services. And according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, this includes the New York Giants.
Former #Bears LB Leonard Floyd has a number of teams in play for him already. Among them: The #Giants, whom Chicago leaped over a few years ago to draft Floyd.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 17, 2020
Chicago traded up to draft Floyd with that first-round pick in 2016. The Giants took cornerback Eli Apple with the No. 10 overall pick thereafter.
If the Giants were to ink Floyd to a deal, it would be their fourth time signing a linebacker in just the last few days. Last Friday, they re-signed David Mayo to a three-year contract. Then since Monday, they’ve inked Blake Martinez and Kyler Fackrell to three and one-year deals, respectively.
How would Floyd fit in the Giants defense?
Floyd wasn’t as dominant a pass rusher in 2019 as Markus Golden, but he could still be a reliable replacement should the Giants not re-sign him. Throughout his pro career, Floyd has racked up a total of 18.5 sacks and 44 quarterback hits. He’s additionally recorded a carer total of 154 combined tackles, 26 tackles for loss, nine passes defended, and one forced fumble.
For the last two years, he’s been overshadowed by Khalil Mack, arguably the top edge rusher in the entire league. But if Floyd came over to the Giants, he would be the team’s top guy at the outside linebacker position if Golden doesn’t return.
Lorenzo Carter is a promising option at that spot, but his consistency is an issue. He only recorded 4.5 sacks last year and experienced spurts of two, two, and three games in which he didn’t record one at all. It was the same story in his rookie year. During that season, Carter racked up four sacks but went through spurts of two, two, three, and four games without one.
Floyd could thrive in a defense led by newly hired coordinator Patrick Graham. He would also find himself in a starting role right away, especially if Golden isn’t around.
But of course, a deal between him and the Giants would have to come to fruition before anything.
