Who Needs A Linebacker?
The 26, soon-to-be-27, Posluszny, while injury prone, has become one of the top tacklers in the league. Last year he had 151 total tackles, which was good for third best and has made at least 110 tackles in each of the past three seasons. The Giants could use a smart player like him who’s all about instincts while on the field as he just knows where the ball’s going to be. Nothing against Goff but Posluszny is a pure middle linebacker and there’s the added bonus of him playing under Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell in Buffalo. Oh, and don’t forget, there were rumblings of him possibly being taken by the Giants during the 2007 NFL Draft.
While he already had his breakout season with the Panthers last year, that doesn’t mean James Anderson can’t have an even bigger breakout season with the Giants if he were to sign with them for the 2011 season. The Giants can use a linebacker who’s able to rush the passer and connect on blitzes and that’s exactly what Anderson did last season in Carolina where he recorded 6 sacks.
If the Giants are looking for a potential steal at the position then they need to look no further than the third player on my list, Antwan Barnes. The former Raven finally got a chance to show off his skills once he left Baltimore and boy did he ever shine. After playing in the shadows of guys such as Jarrett Johnson and Terrell Suggs, Barnes was a pretty productive player in the league last season once given the chance as he tallied 32 QB disruptions on only 265 snaps. That’s getting bang for your buck.
Of the above mentioned free agent linebackers, the man to keep an eye on is Posluszny. If for some reason he doesn’t stay in Buffalo look for the Giants to make a play for him and the deciding factor on whether or not he signs with New York or somewhere else could be his relationship with Fewell.
Other top linebackers that might be available for the Giants, depending on the new CBA rules, that I didn’t mention, not including players such as LaMarr Woodley and David Harris, who are both sure to be signed by their respective teams, are Matt Roth, Kevin Burnett, Stephen Tulloch, Quincy Black, Justin Durant, Manny Lawson and Chad Greenway.
One more name to throw out there is Mark Herzlich, the undrafted cancer survivor out of Boston College. A lot of teams will be going hard after them but he’s got the type of values, drive, and work ethic that screams Big Blue, and not to mention Coach Coughlin’s BC connection. Man, free agency is going to be wild. Can’t wait!