These 5 New York Giants must step up against the Texans
By Henry Buggy
No. 4 – Kareem Martin
While Jonathan Stewart’s contract may have been the biggest head scratcher this offseason, both Omameh’s and Kareem Martin’s deals look to be getting worse with each game.
Gettleman signed both players to three-year contracts worth $15 million, but Martin’s deal does have an opt-out clause after the 2018 season, according to Spotrac. The Giants hoped the former third-round pick out of North Carolina would continue to develop in Bettcher’s defense.
He spent his first four seasons in the league under Big Blue’s new defensive coordinator but never recorded more than 1.5 sacks in a season. Through two games, the 6-foot-6, 263-pound edge rusher has made little impact.
Martin has been a liability against the run and has not provided a consistent pass rush in two games. Both Connor Barwin and Lorenzo Carter, who are listed as second-stringers, have outplayed New York’s biggest defensive free agent signing this offseason.
The Cowboys made Big Blue’s edge defenders look foolish with the zone read last Sunday, and Shurmur won’t be surprised to see the Texans and Watson utilize a similar game plan.
"“The zone read is part of the NFL game now, especially for quarterbacks that can move around, and so certainly every team watches what the previous teams have done against a defense or an offense. I’m sure we’re going to see some form of the zone read and they’re going to test and see if we’ve corrected the mistakes.”"
It’s time for Martin to step it up. If he can’t take advantage of Houston’s struggling offensive tackles, it’s likely going to be a long season for the 26-year-old pass rusher.