The New York Giants have agreed to a two-year, $12.5 million contract with veteran defensive deal with DJ Reader, a supply advised ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Tuesday.
Reader could make as much as $15.5 million by way of incentives, the supply advised Fowler.
The Giants introduced that they had signed Reader on Wednesday however didn’t disclose phrases.
The transfer comes greater than two weeks after the Giants traded standout defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence II to the Cincinnati Bengals for the tenth general decide within the NFL draft. New York additionally drafted Bobby Jamison-Travis within the sixth spherical final month.
The Giants freed up greater than $12.5 million in wage cap house by buying and selling Lawrence.
Final week, the Giants additionally signed veteran defensive tackles Shelby Harris and Leki Fotu to one-year contracts. The Giants additionally claimed defensive deal with Zacch Pickens off waivers from the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs on Tuesday.
The Giants have been adamant about including to the inside of their defensive position, even earlier than buying and selling Lawrence. They allowed a league-worst 5.3 yards per carry final season.
Reader, 31, spent the previous two seasons with the Detroit Lions. He beforehand performed for the Bengals and Houston Texans.
Reader led the NFL final yr with a 71.7% double-team price. He had 28 tackles, 9 pressures and 4 quarterback hits. His 26.0% run cease win price was beneath league common and behind Lawrence (31.5%).
New York had Reader, Harris and Benito Jones go to in current weeks. Reader additionally visited the Baltimore Ravens final month.
The Giants mentioned after the draft the defensive deal with place was a precedence.
Lawrence began final season between Roy Robertson-Harris and Rakeem Nunez-Roches. Nunez-Roches was a free agent and signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Giants plan for second-year defensive lineman Darius Alexander to play a much bigger function however nonetheless wanted so as to add to the road. Specifically, they had been looking for an enormous run-stuffing nostril deal with to anchor their run protection.
John Harbaugh was employed because the Giants’ head coach earlier this yr. He introduced Dennard Wilson with him as his defensive coordinator. Wilson’s protection is predicted to be just like what they ran in yr underneath Harbaugh in Baltimore, with a sturdy nostril deal with as a key element to the run protection.
Reader (6-foot-3, 330) suits the outline. He has performed in 137 profession video games with 128 begins and has 328 tackles and 12.5 sacks in 10 skilled seasons with the Houston Texans, Cincinnati Bengals and Lions.
