After the debut campaign he just recorded, it's safe to say NY Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke is beloved all over New York and New Jersey. Okereke, who joined the G-Men on a four-year, $40 million deal, played in every single defensive snap in 2023.
The guy was a warrior on the field. Now, he's trying to get things done away from the gridiron for general manager Joe Schoen. Recently, Pro Football Focus named the Giants as the best landing spot for stud safety Julian Blackmon. As soon as Okereke saw this, he didn't waste any time in reaching out to Blackmon on social media to let him know he wants him to be part of the Big Blue defense:
Bobby Okereke is hoping the Giants can land veteran safety Julian Blackmon
Blackmon just wrapped up his fourth season with the Colts. The 6-0, 200-pounder, a former teammate of Okereke with Indianapolis, finished the 2023 campaign with 88 tackles, four interceptions and eight pass deflections, all career highs.
At only 25 years old, Blackmon is entering the prime of his career. It's a bit of a surprise that he hasn't been able to find a new home yet, but the Giants adding him to the secondary would make a ton of sense, especially with Xavier McKinney leaving to join the Packers on his four-year, $68 million deal.
The main thing getting in the way for a Giants signing here could be how much Blackmon wants with his next deal. NY and Schoen don't have a ton of money to throw his way - we've seen players like Darious Williams and Tre'Davious White sign elsewhere for more dough this offseason.
Schoen and Brian Daboll could look for a McKinney replacement via the NFL Draft, with Javon Bullard and Jaden Hicks being among the safeties who have been linked with a move to East Rutherford. However, if Schoen can get on the same page with Blackmon this late in free agency, it'd have a lot of fans fired up. From the looks of his latest post, that news would also be something Okereke welcomes with open arms.