Giants Sign OLB Deone Bucannon

Defensive coordinator James Bettcher reunites with his hybrid safety/linebacker from their days together with the Cardinals as the Giants look to beef up their run defense.

The Giants have signed free agent linebacker Deone Bucannon to their roster.

The 6-foot-1, 211-pound Bucannon was a first-round pick (27th overall) by Arizona in 2014. While with the Cardinals, for whom he played until last year, Buccannon played under James Bettcher, who in 2014 was his position coach before being promoted to the team’s defensive coordinator for the 2015-17 seasons.

Bucannon enjoyed his most productive seasons under Bettcher. He logged a career-high 112 tackles in 2015, the first year of Bettcher’s tenure as a defensive coordinator for the team.

Over the three-years in which Bettcher was the defensive coordinator, Buccanon appeared in 41 games and recorded 285 tackles with 4.0 sacks, 10 passes defensed and five forced fumbles.

Bucannon, who played his college ball at Washington State, signed with the Bucs this past off-season, appearing in five games for the (including the Week 3 game against the Giants) before his release on Oct. 9.

In six seasons, Bucannon has appeared in 75 regular-season games with 56 starts, and has posted 395 tackles (302 solo); 7.0 sacks; and two interceptions, including one he returned 29 yards for a touchdown in 2015; 12 passes defensed; seven forced fumbles; and five fumble recoveries.

The Giants waived rookie ILB Tuzar Skipper, whom they picked up off waivers from the Steelers in Week 2. Skipper appeared in six games for the Giants, recording two assisted tackles and half a sack with one fumble recovery.