Despite it now being early June, there are still some fantastic players out in free agency waiting to find their new homes. For the NY Giants, a lot of talk recently has been the possible addition of star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
However, could a different former First-Team All-Pro talent be on the way to East Rutherford? In a new piece, ESPN's Matt Bowen released the 'best team fits' for the remaining free agents. When it comes to pass-rusher Justin Houston, Bowen thinks a signing with Big Blue makes too much sense.
The NY Giants have been linked with veteran pass-rusher Justin Houston
"Houston could fit with multiple teams in search of a veteran pass-rusher, but let's get him back under former Baltimore defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, who joined New York in 2022. Houston, who has 14 sacks over the past two seasons, played for Martindale in 2021, posting 4.5 sacks and 35 pressures. And we know the fit works for a Giants defense that can use him as a situational pass-rusher in pressure fronts. Martindale's defense led the NFL last season with a blitz rate of 42%, which will create more one-on-ones for Houston with schemes that manipulate protection counts."ESPN's Matt Bowen
Could a reunion with defensive coordinator Wink Martindale be on the way? Houston is getting ready for his 13th campaign in the NFL, spending the first eight years of his career with the Chiefs, followed by two years with the Colts and the last two with the Ravens.
In the past two seasons, Houston has 14 sacks to his name, with an impressive 9.5 coming last season. Houston may be climbing in age, but goodness, he has proven time and time again that he's still a beast at getting to opposing quarterbacks.
Depth at pass-rusher is a bit of a concern for the Giants, especially due to the injury concerns surrounding Aleez Ojulari. Ojulari, who set the rookie sacks record for the G-Men in 2021, had big hopes for '22, but he was injured for a large portion of the year.
Ojulari is hoping to post big numbers in '23, but having someone like Houston in the rotation would be massive for the defense as a whole. If the dollars make sense on both sides, then seeing Houston in a Giants jersey for this fall and winter would be great to see.