The Giants are expected to sign former Cardinals outside linebacker Kareem Martin, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Martin, of course, has history with new Giants defensive coordinator James Bettcher, so he should be a natural fit. It’ll be a three-year deal for the defender worth $21MM ($7.5MM guaranteed), according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan (via Twitter).
Martin, our 14th ranked edge defender, appeared in all 16 games for the Cardinals last season, including ten starts. He finished out with 22 tackles, one sack, and nabbed his first career interception.
Martin earned a solid 75.2 overall score from Pro Football Focus, the best of his career. He ranked as the 57th best edge defender out of 106 qualified players.
The 26-year-old made a career-high 10 starts last season and recorded a sack and 18 tackles, along with his first career interception. The Cardinals took Martin in the third round of the 2014 draft out of North Carolina.
Martin is likely to work in a backup role with the Giants as they have Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon on the edges. He’ll work in with a group that also includes Ray-Ray Armstrong and Thurston Armbrister. The Giants were going to be thin with their depth at defensive end as Kerry Wynn is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Martin becomes the Giants’ second free-agent addition over the last two days, with the team agreeing to terms with running back Jonathan Stewart on Monday as well.