Giants To Sign LB Bobby Okereke

The off-ball linebacker market continues to produce action on Day 1 of the legal tampering period. Bobby Okereke reached an agreement to join the Giants, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

This transaction will relocate the productive Colts linebacker to a team in dire need of help at the position. The former third-round pick will end up doing pretty well in his first free agency foray, with Rapoport adding this is a four-year, $40MM deal that comes with $22MM guaranteed (Twitter link).

Known previously for Pat McAfee’s emphatic draft-pick announcement and being a Shaquille Leonard sidekick, Okereke shined in Gus Bradley‘s first season as Indianapolis’ DC. He posted 151 tackles during his contract year last season, one that largely came without Leonard. Even alongside the Colts’ All-Pro turnover machine in 2021, Okereke recorded 132 stops. Seventeen of Okereke’s 151 tackles in 2022 came in the Colts’ loss to the Giants.

The Giants have added Okereke and defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches to start the legal tampering period; they featured a bigger need at Okereke’s spot. Blake Martinez‘s early-season ACL tear in 2021 ended up altering the Giants’ path at linebacker. The team benched and waived previous starter Tae Crowder last season, months after cutting the now-retired Martinez, leaving Don Martindale looking for troops on his defensive second level. Okereke, 26, now stands to become the team’s anchor here, joining a Giants team that did employ long-term pieces up front and in its secondary.

This continues a trend for the Colts, who have now let Leonard wingmen Okereke and Anthony Walker walk in recent offseasons. Indianapolis is paying Leonard at a top-market rate, so another eight-figure-AAV contract at linebacker never made sense. The Colts do, however, still have Zaire Franklin under contract. E.J. Speed, who also saw his role increase as a result of Leonard’s health issues last season, is a free agent.