For years, the New York Giants have treated the middle linebacker position like a revolving door. Finding a true, long-term defensive anchor in East Rutherford felt all but impossible, leaving fans longing for the days of someone to come and save them from watching teams run over them over and over again.
Everything changed with the arrival of new head coach John Harbaugh. Known for linebacker-maxxing historic defenders like Ray Lewis, Roquan Smith, and C.J. Mosley, Harbaugh clearly wanted a star who was capable of running his -- and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson's -- new-look defensive system.
General manager Joe Schoen heard him loud and clear, ditching Bobby Okereke earlier in free agency to free up $9 million in cap space and pivoting aggressively to upgrade the roster with bigger and better weapons like tight end Isaiah Likely and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.
Speaking of Edmunds' three-year, $36 million deal, Giants fans have to send a sincere thank you to the Chicago Bears. By executing their own linebacker cap-saving gymnastics routine and releasing Edmunds right into Big Blue's laps on a silver platter, Chicago gave the G-Men an absolute gift just in time for the free-agent feeding frenzy.
Bears fans already regret watching Tremaine Edmunds join the Giants
The only thing sweeter than realizing years of throwing the remote at the TV over poor linebacker play are over is relishing the fact that the move comes entirely at the Bears' expense.
Over at Bear Goggles On, Anthony Miller recently admitted the quiet part out loud:
"Bush will be Edmunds' replacement on the Bears for the next three years. Joining Bush are T.J. Edwards and D'Marco Jackson as the main three linebackers in the rotation.
Looking at the linebacker room in Chicago now without Edmunds, the reality is that Edmunds is better than most of those guys."
Hmm... fact-check: Edmunds is better than all of them.
While Da Bears rushed out to hand Devin Bush a eerily comparable three-year, $30 million deal, Edmunds received votes in the latest NFL top-10 off-ball linebacker rankings. Bush? Not a single one. Chicago is practically paying the same price for a lesser talent, and their fans are already feeling the buyer's remorse. You hate to see it.
For Big Blue, Edmunds brings an entirely different level of athleticism, sideline-to-sideline range, and a flawless streak of 100-plus tackles in every single season of his eight-year career. Beyond the stat sheet, his presence now provides an invaluable mentor for 20-year-old rookie Arvell Reese as he transitions into a full-time off-ball role... for now.
Add in the return of Micah McFadden on a hungry, one-year prove-it deal following last year's Lisfranc injury, and New York's second level looks dangerously feisty. The game of offseason musical chairs is officially over, and Chicago's self-inflicted pain is officially New York's gain.
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