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After spending his first four seasons in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers, inside linebacker Blake Martinez took his talent to a slightly bigger market. The New York Giants signed him in March of 2020 to a three-year deal, paying him just over $10 million a season. For the level of production Martinez produced last season, that might actually be a bargain.
In a league where few things are assured, Martinez’s durability and production over the last four seasons have been extremely reliable. He has not missed a game since 2016, and has registered at least 144 combined tackles in the past four years. He doesn’t provide much in the way of pass rushing presence, but his activity and ability to take down anything that moves will serve the Giants well moving forward.
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However, besides Martinez, the Giants are relatively thin at linebacker and will likely be looking at different avenues to improve that area of the team.
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NFL Free Agency: Which free agent linebackers might New York look to bring into the fold?
Sean Lee
Since the Giants are expected to have a ton of room under the cap, they’ll likely be limited to players who can help supplement the team, rather than star on it. As the Giants know firsthand, Dallas Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee was more than just a role player for many years—he was the straw that stirred the drink on that defense.
But age and injuries have taken their toll on Lee, who only appeared in 9 games last season. He’ll be 35 before the season begins, so any team looking to take a chance on him would only use him rotationally. He played for Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett for 9 seasons in Dallas, so there are dots to be connected here if the veteran is interested in coming to New York.
Markus Golden
Golden has had a peculiar career thus far, bouncing around the league, if you can call it that, between only two teams. He spent the first four seasons of his career with the Arizona Cardinals, before having arguably his best season as a pro in 2019 with the New York Giants.
Golden played seven games with Big Blue in 2020 before being traded to his first NFL home in Arizona, where he finished out the season. He was reportedly unhappy with New York for not giving him the playing time he felt he deserved in 2020, despite recording 10 sacks in 2019 under the old regime. On the surface, Golden’s profile fits with what the Giants need—reliable outside linebacker play, and a pass rusher—so maybe they will look to reunite in the offseason.
Dennis Gardeck
Gardeck has one of the strangest statistical lines a defender could possibly have in 2020. Out of his 16 total combined tackles last season, 7 of them were sacks of the opposing quarterback. Basically, whenever Gardeck was able to bring down an offensive player in 2020, there was a solid chance that it was a quarterback on a passing play.
He only has 34 career defensive tackles across three NFL seasons, and has played the lion’s share of his snaps on special teams. But it could be worth the Giants while to take a flyer on Gardeck to see if he can recreate some of the magic he had last season with the Arizona Cardinals.
Giants Nation! Check out the latest New York Giants Schedule and dive into the Giants Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.
