The One Pending UFA Linebacker No One is Talking About for the Giants

The Giants need inside linebacker depth, and there is one potential candidate that no one is really talking about who would appear to be a fit for New York.

Throughout the 2022 season, the inside linebacker position was the Achilles heel of a New York Giants defense that needed their off-ball linebackers to defend the run, rush the passer, and play in coverage. Fast forward to the present, and the position is still very much a need.

While the most common name linked to the Giants is linebacker Tremaine Edmund of the Buffalo Bills, an option that I think will be explored by this front office and coaching staff is pending UFA Drue Tranquill of the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Fit

Tranquill is the easiest linebacker fit for this Giants defense. Coming from a Chargers defense that asks inside linebackers to be legitimate pass-rushers, the transition for Tranquill should be relatively seamless, outside of having to learn the new calls.

During the 2022 season, Tranquill was used as a pass-rusher on 11.2% of his pass defense snaps, meaning he would likely see a strong uptick in opportunities if he were to join this Wink Martindale defense that used Tae Crowder as a pass-rusher on 19.1% of his pass-defense snaps. Of those 70 pass-rush reps, Tranquill picked up 15 pressures and five sacks, which would have been first among Giants off-ball linebackers in both categories.

What makes Tranquill so effective as a blitzer is his combination of elite burst and speed for the position allowing him to not show that he’s blitzing but still be able to shoot gaps quickly enough to be a pass-rushing threat.

Tranquill is average in coverage but has consistently improved in both man and zone. While he might be near his ceiling as a cover linebacker, his versatility as a pass-rusher and improved (albeit still below-average) run defender makes him a prime candidate to come to East Rutherford as an upgrade at the biggest area of weakness on the defense.

The Contract

Despite having a career year in 2022, Tranquill will likely still be valued less than other similar off-ball linebackers like David Long Jr, Germaine Pratt, and TJ Edwards in free agency. Tranquill will, of course, be valued less than the obvious options like Tremaine Edmunds, Lavonte David, and Bobby Wagner.

According to Pro Football Focus and Over The Cap, Tranquill's current projected contract offer will net him a three-year contract worth $7M on average per year with $12.5M guaranteed. While some might think that sounds too steep to offer an above-average linebacker in a defense that doesn’t put a premium on the position, the actual terms would be much more flexible for the Giants.

If the contract were to be structured how Arjun Menon of PFF (above) has drawn it up, the Giants would be able to cut ties with Tranquill as a post-June 1st cut after the first season and save $3.5 million while eating a $3 million cap hit. After the second season, the Giants could cut Tranquil at any point and save $7 million in cap space while eating a $3 million hit.

Upgrading a position with a contract that is already manageable and could always be restructured, as well as accounting for an increase in cap space, is an opportunity the Giants should be jumping at.

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