A Free Agent Signing That Makes Too Much Sense for the Giants

When free agency begins the New York Giants will have a lot of questions to answer. They need to figure out how to upgrade the secondary and possibly replace a 1000-yard receiver.

They need to decide if they want to add depth on the defensive line and if they want to reshuffle their offensive line. They will make decisions about which Giants get new contracts and which players fans have to say goodbye to.

There is one thing that will definitely be addressed and that is linebacker. With the release of Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden being an unrestricted free agent coming back from injury, they need a veteran off-ball linebacker who can be the catalyst for change on the defense.

It just makes too much sense for that linebacker to not be former Chief Leo Chenal.

He’s Only 25 Years Old

Chenal is only 25 years old, but he has already played four seasons in the league and a ton of football when you consider how postseason-relevant the Kansas City Chiefs were during his tenure.

He understands how to play in high-pressure, high-leverage games. He won't be wowed by the lights or intoxicated by the glitz and glamour because he's already been to the mountaintop as a Super Bowl champion.

At 25, it also means that he's still coming into his prime years at the position. Because he's a guy who relies on athleticism as part of his advantage, the fact that he's only in his mid-20s (and will be throughout the next contract he signs) means that the Giants would get the best years of his career physically.

Barring any unforeseen injuries, Chenal could be the long-term answer for the Giants over the next 4-5 years.

Get Him Before Big-Time Production

As good as Chenal has been for the Chiefs, he hasn't put up big-time numbers in that defense. Many of the premier linebackers in the league are putting up over 140 tackles per season; Chenal has not recorded 100 tackles in his career.

In fact, his highest tackle total for one season is only 65 tackles. Before you look at that and go, "Why would he be an upgrade with the Giants?" you have to remember that he's only playing between 45 and 50% of the snaps for Kansas City.

The reason why Bobby Okereke was so intriguing a few years ago, when the Giants pursued him in free agency, is because he came from a linebacking corps that was overcrowded with talent.

Chenal is in a similar situation in Kansas City. With the Giants, he would get the opportunity to garner the majority of the snaps at the position, therefore producing the best numbers of his career.

If you extrapolate his numbers to well over 90% of the snaps, he will be averaging numbers that the best linebackers in the NFL average.

At that point, he would be out of the price range of the Giants, making it harder for the team to procure him. Grabbing him now means getting him on the upswing, like grabbing a stock before it explodes.

His Athletic Profile Fits the Defense

John Harbaugh is the former Ravens coach, and this defensive staff all have tentacles that come from the Ravens' way of playing defense.

The one thing that you can expect is that when those defenses are at their best, their middle linebackers are extremely athletic to be able to not only combat the run, but also drop back into pass coverage.

We all know about the exploits of Ray Lewis for the Baltimore Ravens, but there was a time once Lewis was gone where the defense just felt like it was missing something. Then the Ravens drafted C.J. Mosley out of Alabama, and immediately the defense became elite again.

Once Mosley was gone and moved on to the Jets, however, the Ravens needed another guy to fill that hole because the defense had taken a step back. That's when they traded for Roquan Smith, and instantly the defense returned to elite status.

Those "do-everything," highly intelligent, athletic linebackers have always been the key to great Martindale defenses, and it will likely be a key here in New York. Chenal is one of the best athletes at the position, and he may be one of the best coverage linebackers in the NFL.

He also provides legit versatility as an edge rusher and a defensive lineman in obvious pass situations. His ability to blitz from the second level is uncanny, and that versatility will help him in this new defense.

He will not only fit into the style of defense that the Giants want to play under Harbaugh, but he will also have the instincts and the athleticism to provide the defense with flexibility in his play.

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