Work opportunities have really dried up for Bobby Okereke since he was cut by the New York Giants. The Giants replaced him with two younger and more talented LBs in Tremaine Edmunds and Arvell Reese, unlike the other key defender they moved on from this offseason in Dexter Lawrence, no one wants to take a shot on him.
We're at the point in the offseason where a guy like Okereke typically gets snatched up at an affordable price by a contender or by an LB-needy team if an injury comes up. But for some reason, he's still available, so he must have made some serious enemies, or teams did not like what they saw. Bobby Boucher is more coveted than him right about now.
The 29-year-old took a major step in the wrong direction with New York in 2025. In 17 starts, he logged a respectable 143 tackles, but he looked noticeably slower than he had in seasons past. And his regression made it easier for the Giants to turn the page and completely reset at the position.
Bengals are being urged to sign Ex-Giant Bobby Okereke in free agency
There have been some fanbases clamoring to sign him, but it's come in moderation. Just teams that can use reinforcements. And ESPN's Aaron Schatz is clamoring for the team that brought in Sexy Dexy, the Cincinnati Bengals, to take a shot at adding Okereke to their weak linebacker room.
While going over one final offseason move every NFL team should make, Schatz said the Bengals should sign the 2019 third-round pick. Schatz noted that their current starting linebacker tandem is Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter, and neither of them was particularly effective last season.
"A better choice might be Okereke, formerly of the Giants," Schatz wrote. "He's much more of a run stopper than a pass coverage guy, but so is Wagner at this point, and Okereke is less likely to be in decline as he turns 30 in late July. And like Wagner, Okereke is a high-character locker room influence, as he was the Giants' nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award last season."
The Bengals have had their fair share of success bringing in former Giants' defenders. B.J. Hill has become one of the best players on their defense. Eli Apple started for them in a Super Bowl. And Lawrence is set to be the player who changes the complexion of one of the NFL's worst defenses.
The Stanford product is set to turn 30 in July. Perhaps a scenery change to a better system can help him regain his previous form and mentor a young LB room. It's not flashy, but since Bobby Okereke is an elite locker room guy, maybe a Giants reunion with Dexter Lawrence in Cincinnati could be the spark that helps the Bengals turn things around on defense.
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