Azeez Ojulari

Giants Have Not Discussed Extension With Darius Slayton, Azeez Ojulari

As the trade deadline draws nearer, the Giants remain a team worth watching closely. Pending free agents on both sides of the ball have garnered considerable interest from potential buyers, and New York’s chances of moving on will of course be swayed in part by the team’s willingness to commit to new contracts.

Wideout Darius Slayton and edge rusher Azeez Ojulari are firmly on the trade block at this point, which comes as little surprise given the Giants’ 2-6 record. The team could turn away interest if an extension were to be imminent on one or both fronts, but that does not appear to be the case. Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports no known negotiations have taken place with either player, something which no doubt would have transpired by now if the team had serious intentions of avoiding free agent departures.

Slayton remains one of several receivers who could be on the move despite the fact four WR trades (involving Davante Adams, Amari Cooper, DeAndre Hopkins and Diontae Johnson) have already taken place recently. The 27-year-old is no stranger to trade speculation, and one seemed highly possible this offseason. Instead, Slayton remained in place with the Giants, the only team he has played for in his career. Teams like the Steelers are known to be on the lookout for an addition at that position, and Pittsburgh has shown interest in Slayton, whose preference would be to remain in New York.

“For two or three years now, I’ve been a trade-deadline name, so I control what I can control and don’t worry about it much,” the Auburn product told Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post“It’s somewhat of a good thing because if people are trading for you, you’re obviously doing something right. I obviously want to be here. The easy thing is to go to somebody who is 6-2 right now, but I have roots here and love my teammates here.”

In four of his first five seasons, Slayton led the Giants in receiving yards. This year, the former fifth-rounder has posted two 100-yard performances as part of a WR unit led by first-round rookie Malik Nabers. The Giants do not have many known commodities in terms of pass-catchers beyond that pairing, but with a base salary of just $2.5MM for the season Slayton would be an affordable rental for any number of teams. A change of scenery might not produce an uptick in targets to close out the year, but it could give Slayton a rare chance at postseason action.

New York is believed to have set a high asking price on Slayton, with the same being true of Ojulari. The latter is on the radar of teams likes the Bengals, with the Falcons and Cardinals also being in the mix. Duggan reported earlier this weekend that a fifth-round pick might be the most the Giants could land in a trade, an underwhelming return for a player on his way to surpassing his career high in sacks with six so far in eight contests.

The Giants already have Brian Burns on the books as one of the league’s highest-paid edge rushers, and Kayvon Thibodeaux could have a long-term pact in hand as early as this offseason. Affording a major raise for Ojulari coming off his rookie pact would be create a roster-building challenge at other, more pressing positions for New York. As a result, calls will no doubt continue coming in for the 24-year-old.

General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll recently received a public vote of confidence from owner John Mara, although speculation continues with respect to their job security. How the team’s top decision-makers operate moving forward will be a major storyline, and that of course includes the handling of quarterback Daniel Jones. More immediately, the situations for Slayton and Ojulari will be key as well.

Cardinals, Falcons Monitoring Azeez Ojulari; Latest On Giants OLB’s Market

A shortlist of names is in place regarding the edge rush trade market. One of the top targets for contending teams remains Azeez Ojulari, who is currently on track to finish his Giants rookie contract over the remainder of the season.

As a pending free agent, Ojulari could easily price himself out of New York. The team already has Brian Burns attached to a $28.2MM-per-year deal, and 2022 fifth overall pick Kayvon Thibodeaux will be eligible for an extension this offseason. Keeping that pair in the fold for the foreseeable future while also committing to a signficant Ojulari raise would be challenging given the Giants’ more immediate roster needs.

To no surprise, potential buyers have made calls about the Georgia product’s availability in advance of the November 5 trade deadline. Several teams continue to express interest, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network writes. Depending on the status of veterans likes Za’Darius Smith and Jadeveon Clowney, Ojulari could find himself as the top edge rusher on the market over the coming days. His value would, of course, be boosted by a multitude of teams making offers.

The Bengals are on the lookout for help along the defensive front, and they have been connected to a pursuit of the 24-year-old. According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Falcons and Cardinals can also be added to that list (subscription required). Atlanta in particular has been “aggressive” in pursuing an edge rush move in general and a potential Ojulari move in particular, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The Falcons have previously been named as a team to watch regarding an addition along the edge, with the Matt Judon acquisition not yielding high-end production and injuries emerging elsewhere at that spot. Lorenzo Carter is currently on injured reserve, and Atlanta could certainly use at least a depth contributor in his absence (although Ojulari would be expected to handle first-team duties upon arrival with any number of suitors).

The Cardinals have been hit hard by injuries along the D-line this year, so adding along the edge would be a sensible move (and one which Schefter confirms is in play). General manager Monti Ossenfort spoke about his trade deadline plans yesterday, and he confirmed he has explored deals which could help add production in the pass-rush department. With six sacks this year and 22 in his career, Ojulari would be a welcomed addition for Arizona as the team looks to remain atop the NFC West.

Given his status as a rental, the Giants may not be on track to land signficant draft capital in any deal for the former second-rounder. While the team is believed to be setting a high asking price for Ojulari – along with veteran receiver Darius Slayton Russini’s colleague Dan Duggan notes a fifth-round pick represents the best-case scenario for New York at this point. A lone Day 3 selection may tempt the front office to risk a free agent departure and a resultant 2026 compensatory pick, but a team confident in extending Ojulari (as the Bears did last year with Montez Sweat, for instance) could be willing to pay a higher price.

Much of the speculation and deals during the 2024 season have revolved around the receiver position, but the edge rush market figures to be worth watching closely in advance of the deadline. Ojulari in particular should be the subject of many more conversations between the Giants and teams looking for a second-half boost on defense.

Giants Setting High Prices On Darius Slayton, Azeez Ojulari

Dropping to 2-6 Monday night, the Giants have the look of a seller at yet another trade deadline. Though, the team’s two clear trade chips may not be too easy to acquire.

The Giants have swatted away Darius Slayton trade rumors this summer, but they did not agree to a major contract adjustment despite the sixth-year wide receiver’s push for one this offseason. Slayton remains in a walk year and would not be expensive to acquire, based on barely $1MM remaining in 2024 base salary. Azeez Ojulari has also come up as a trade candidate, with teams undoubtedly monitoring the contract-year edge rusher on a contract-year tear. Ojulari is tied to a second-round rookie deal.

New York has completed some notable seller’s trades at recent deadlines, and a route back to the playoffs will be difficult to complete. A week away from the deadline, however, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo writes the Giants would need to be “blown away” by an offer to obtain either Slayton or Ojulari.

Although the Giants do not appear prepared to merely take what they can get for the dependable wideout and resurgent edge rusher, it would stand to reason both players are available at a price. Slayton is playing out a two-year, $12MM deal and, after leading the Giants in receiving yardage four times since his 2019 rookie year, the longtime Daniel Jones target would appeal to clubs who have suffered injuries at receiver or contenders who could simply use a WR2 upgrade. He has 29 receptions for 420 yards this season. Yet to post an 800-plus-yard slate, Slayton is on pace for a career-best season.

Ojulari, who registered eight sacks as a rookie but had been less productive over the past two seasons, supplied solid pressure in the Giants’ loss to the Steelers to run his sack count to six. That has helped the Giants lead the NFL with 35 despite losing Kayvon Thibodeaux to a wrist injury. Thibodeaux, however, is expected to come off IR — being first eligible to do so next week — and return Ojulari to a rotational role in a now-Brian Burns-fronted OLB corps. With Burns on a megadeal and Thibodeaux in play to stay on his rookie pact through 2026 via the fifth-year option, the Giants may not be able to afford to re-sign Ojulari.

The Giants will need to weigh the offers that come in now against what could potentially be had in terms of 2026 compensatory picks — depending on how active the team is during the 2025 free agency period — next year. Though, a trade would help bolster the the team’s 2025 draft arsenal. Waiting for 2026 picks may not be of interest to Joe Schoen, who is on the hot seat. John Mara‘s recent vote of confidence notwithstanding, the third-year Giants GM may not be overly interested in trades that weaken his 2024 roster, either.

A Giants loss to the NFC East-leading Commanders in Week 9 would drop them to 2-7, and it would be difficult for teams to believe they won’t sell at that point. Based on where the team resides in the standings and the contract-year statuses of the trade chips, Slayton and Ojulari will be two will be key names to monitor ahead of the Nov. 5 deadline.

Teams Expected To Pursue Azeez Ojulari In Trades; Giants OLB Drew Offseason Interest

The Giants’ Brian Burns trade made their future at outside linebacker fairly clear. Burns landed a top-market extension upon being dealt to New York, and he has formed a quality tandem with Kayvon Thibodeaux, whose rookie contract can run through 2026 via the fifth-year option.

Other clubs have noticed the Giants’ plan, which has led to conversations about Thibodeaux’s current fill-in. Drafted during Dave Gettleman‘s final offseason in charge, Azeez Ojulari is having an intriguing contract year. With Thibodeaux likely to be back from a wrist injury in November, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicates teams are expected to reach out to the Giants about their OLB3’s availability.

Clubs have already done some background work on Ojulari, a former second-round pick. Teams showed interest in Ojulari in August, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. With nearly two weeks remaining until the deadline, interest in the fourth-year pass rusher should pick up, as the Georgia product has put together a bounce-back start.

The Giants have seen their top rotational rusher fill in for Thibodeaux well, recording three sacks over the past two games as a starter. Thibodeaux only needs to miss two more contests; the former top-five pick returning would shuttle Ojulari back to a bench role. The Giants may not be too keen on selling just yet, as Ojulari is a key role player who is starting during a pivotal stretch for the struggling team. But New York is now 2-5 and coming off a one-sided (thanks largely to Saquon Barkley) defeat against Philadelphia. Calls about Giant players figure to pick up soon.

Ojulari, 24, showed plus pass-rushing form as a rookie, racking up eight sacks. The Gettleman years had not seen much in the way of investments on the edge until the Ojulari pick, with Joe Schoen‘s predecessor having dealt away Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon and not allocated much in the way of resources to replace them. Ojulari compiled 13.5 sacks over his first two seasons, reaching 5.5 in just seven games in 2022. But he totaled only 2.5 in 11 games last season, the second straight campaign that featured an Ojulari IR stint. The former No. 50 overall pick missed 16 games between the 2022 and ’23 seasons, partially pushing the Giants to upgrade via Burns.

Dexter Lawrence is the Giants’ runaway sack leader, with nine; the last part of the 2019 Odell Beckham Jr. trade still in place is certainly untouchable. Burns joins Ojulari with four, as the Giants — for all their issues elsewhere on the roster — have improved their pass rush. The Giants’ 31 sacks pace the NFL by three.

Should New York’s descent continue up until the Nov. 5 deadline, the team will likely consider dealing away pieces. Darius Slayton also figures to draw interest, having gone through a contract issue this offseason — one that concluded with only incentives added to a through-2024 deal. The Giants will need to weigh offers, but if Ojulari keeps up this pace, he will likely price himself out of the team’s post-2024 plans in free agency. Weighing a return now against a 2026 compensatory pick — for a GM who may be moving toward the hot seat — will be part of the Giants’ process as well.

Giants OLB Azeez Ojulari Activated From IR

Third-year linebacker Azeez Ojulari will attempt to turn around what, so far, has been a second straight injury-marred season. After spending the past four games on injured reserve with an ankle injury, Ojulari will return to the Giants defensive line after being activated from IR today.

After an impressive rookie year that saw Ojulari lead the team in sacks, the former second-round pick only saw seven contests in his sophomore season. Even in extremely limited time, the Georgia-product was able to rack up 5.5 sacks. Injuries kept Ojulari from blossoming during his second season in New York, but the talent level was clearly still there for one of the team’s top pass rushers.

This year, before his IR stint, though, Ojulari had been held sackless. Granted, he’s only seen action in three games this year, and in two of those games he saw only 55 percent of the team’s snaps or fewer, he’s had the least-effective season of his career thus far. He’ll attempt to turn that narrative around starting this week.

The Giants also announced their two standard gameday elevations from the practice squad today. With regular kicker Graham Gano still on IR, New York will once again rely on practice squad kicker Randy Bullock. Bullock was called up for last week’s game but wasn’t asked to attempt an extra point, let alone a field goal.

Lastly, the team’s second gameday practice squad elevation will be used on tight end Tyree Jackson. The converted college quarterback has a few career catches from his time in Philadelphia but has yet to appear in a game for the division-rival Giants.

Giants LB Azeez Ojulari Returns To Practice

Some positive news on the injury front for the Giants. Linebacker Azeez Ojulari was designated for return from IR and was back at practice today, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.

This move opens Ojulari’s 21-day window to be activated from injured reserve. It sounds like it shouldn’t take long for the linebacker to land back on the 53-man roster; coach Brian Daboll told reporters that Ojulari could be back as soon as this weekend.

Ojulari suffered an ankle injury in mid-October that landed him on injured reserve. Before suffering that injury, the third-year defender saw time in three games (all starts), collecting two tackles while appearing in about half of his team’s defensive snaps. He missed two games earlier in the season while dealing with a hamstring issue.

This is the second-straight injury-marred season for the former second-round pick. Ojulari was limited to only seven games in 2022 thanks in part to a calf injury, but the linebacker still managed to finish the season with 5.5 sacks.

Ojulari lived up to his second-round billing during his rookie campaign. The Georgia product finished that 2021 season with 49 tackles, eight sacks, and 13 QB hits.

Giants Place OLB Azeez Ojulari On IR

The Giants’ offense has dealt with a slew of injuries to start the season, but the team’s defense will be without a starter for the time being as well. Edge rusher Azeez Ojulari was placed on injured reserve Saturday.

As a result of the move, he will be sidelined for at least the next four weeks. Ojulari’s absence will leave the Giants without a starter in the pass-rush department, and his ankle injury will add to the list of ailments which have forced him to miss time in his young NFL career. The 23-year-old was limited to seven contests in 2022, and he missed a pair of games in September of this season.

Ojulari found himself in and out of the lineup with a calf issue in his second campaign, one which carried signficant expectations given his success as a rookie. The former second-rounder led New York with eight sacks in 2021, but that total fell to 5.5 as he missed considerable time last year. Ojulari has been held without a sack, quarterback hit or tackle for loss this season while seeing the field for 95 snaps across three contests.

Still, his absence will be felt on a Giants defense which has mustered only five sacks to date. Four of those have come from fellow edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, who has shown signs of growth after a relatively quiet rookie campaign last season. The former fifth overall pick will be counted on to anchor the Giants’ pass rush to an even larger degree with Ojulari shut down for a month or more. Bringing the latter back will require using one of New York’s eight IR activations available throughout the season.

Ojulari’s starting spot will likely go to either Jihad Ward or Boogie Basham moving forward. The former has been with the Giants since last season, one in which he provided 43 tackles and three sacks. The latter, meanwhile, was dealt away by the Bills ahead of roster cutdowns to mark an end to his underwhelming Buffalo tenure (4.5 sacks in 23 games). As the Giants look for answers along the offensive line and prepare for at least one game without quarterback Daniel Jones, the team will now need to make an adjustment to the starting lineup on the edge.

Saquon Barkley Suffers Ankle Sprain; Giants RB Facing Multi-Week Absence

SEPTEMBER 21: While previous reports indicated the contrary, Barkley confirmed tonight that he did indeed suffer a high ankle sprain, per Thursday Night Football’s Taylor Rooks (h/t Pat Leonard of New York Daily News).

The running back admitted that his injury isn’t as serious as it could have been, and he said that his absence from tonight’s game was more due to pain tolerance. Barkley also pointed out that New York’s next game is in 11 days, so he’ll have some extra time to get right before Week 4. While Barkley wouldn’t guarantee only a one-game absence, it certainly sounds like he’s leaving that door open.

SEPTEMBER 20: Although Brian Daboll stopped short of ruling out Barkley earlier this week, the Giants have done so Wednesday. Barkley will at least miss one 49ers game, but Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com confirms the sixth-year veteran is not battling a high ankle sprain. That stands to shorten his time away.

The Giants will also be without Andrew Thomas for a second straight game, and left guard Ben Bredeson‘s concussion will keep him out of Big Blue’s Thursday-night tilt. Outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari will also be down for the Giants.

SEPTEMBER 18: Saquon Barkley was sidelined for the final offensive play of the Giants’ Week 2 comeback victory, and it was feared after the game he would be dealing with a serious ankle injury. The worst-case scenario has been avoided, but he is nevertheless set to miss time.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that an MRI revealed an “ordinary” ankle sprain for the Pro Bowl back. As a result, Barkley is expected to miss roughly three weeks. At a minimum, that will keep him sidelined for the team’s upcoming Thursday night contest against the 49ers.

Barkley played all but one snap in New York’s surprise win against the Cardinals, proving his importance to the team’s offense. Given his heavy workload, replacing him will be a tall order for the Giants as they look to rebound from the struggles suffered in the first six quarters of their season. That task will fall to Matt Breida, Gary Brightwell and Eric Gray.

After initially representing the team’s higher priority with respect to a long-term extension, Barkley saw quarterback Daniel Jones ink a four-year, $160MM pact in March. That allowed the Giants to use the franchise tag on the former No. 2 pick, though extension talks continued through to the deadline for players hit with the one-year tender. No deal materialized, with Barkley turning down offers which increased in AAV at the expense of guarantees.

In the end, a training camp holdout was avoided with the parties agreeing to a small incentive package which allows Barkley’s 2023 compensation to max out at $11MM. Individual statistical performances, along with team success, is required for his earnings to reach the maximum value, though, so any missed time is signficant from a financial outlook.

With Barkley unavailable for the time being, the Giants’ ground game will look much different. He leads the team in rushing yards with 114, putting him slightly ahead of Jones. Breida and Brightwell have combined for 19 yards on four carries, but an increased role for at least one of them will be necessary moving forward. An IR stint for Barkley is unlikely given his recovery timeline, but New York will no doubt proceed with caution with the 26-year-old given his status as an offensive focal point.

Giants Activate OLB Azeez Ojulari, S Tony Jefferson From IR

The Giants are in the midst of a bit of a midseason slump during a crucial four-game stretch of division games. They are activating pass rusher Azeez Ojulari and safety Tony Jefferson from injured reserve in hopes that they’ll be able to turn things around after losing three of their last four, according to Giants senior writer Michael Elsen.

New York will certainly be glad to see Ojulari return to the field to assist with an aspect of the game they’ve struggled with so far this season: sack production. Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale has been able to produce some form of pass rush, much like he did during his time with the Ravens, by getting creative and sending blitzers from every part of the field. While this has resulted in 12 different players contributing to the team’s sack total, the Giants haven’t gotten consistent results out of any one player, besides defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Lawrence leads the team with five sacks and is the only one of those 12 players with more than two.

Ojulari not only will get to the quarterback, as he showed he could during his rookie season when he led the team with eight sacks, but his presence should help the other defensive lineman provide more of a natural pass rush. With offensive linemen focused on Ojulari, Lawrence, Leonard Williams, and this year’s No. 5 overall pick, Kayvon Thibodeaux, should be freed up with some one-on-one matchups.

Jefferson is a depth piece in the Giants secondary. After two standard gameday elevations, Jefferson was signed to the team’s active roster for their London game against the Packers. Jefferson unfortunately suffered a foot injury in the game and was promptly placed on IR. With starting safety Xavier McKinney ruled out for the fourth-straight game, Jefferson provides a solid option alongside Dane Belton to start opposite the team’s other starting safety, Julian Love.

New York also made an exchange at the tight end position in today’s transactions. The Giants signed veteran tight end Nick Vannett to the active roster from the practice squad, waiving tight end Tanner Hudson to make room. With fourth-round rookie, and expected starter, Daniel Bellinger missing the last four games with an eye injury, the Giants have recently turned to recent addition Lawrence Cager who converted from wide receiver this past offseason. The team is expecting to finally get Bellinger back but will have Cager and Vannett available for backup.

Lastly, New York has promoted defensive tackle Vernon Butler and defensive back Zyon Gilbert as standard gameday elevations from the practice squad for tomorrow’s matchup with the Commanders. If Gilbert enters the game for Big Blue tomorrow, it would be the NFL debut for the undrafted rookie out of Florida Atlantic.

Giants Designate Ben Bredeson, Azeez Ojulari, Tony Jefferson For Return

The Giants were one of the surprise stories of the NFL during the early portion of the season, but the team has become increasingly hampered by injuries on both sides of the ball lately. New York will soon be receiving reinforcements, however, as the team has designated three players for return from IR.

Left guard Ben Bredeson is among the trio, something which will soon give the Giants another starting option up front. The former fourth-rounder was not projected to be a first-teamer to begin the campaign, but an injury to Shane Lemieux changed those plans. Bredeson played in a rotation with rookie Joshua Ezeudu through the first two games of the season, but then operated as a full-time starter before landing on IR last month. His return may not need to be rushed, given the fact that Lemieux has since been activated.

Edge rusher Azeez Ojulari could provide the Giants with depth at the position if he is able to remain healthy. The 2021 second-rounder impressed as a rookie with a team-leading eight sacks, but has hardly played this year. Ojulari spent time on the NFI list in the summer due to a calf injury, but was not placed on IR right away with the team hoping he could suit up at some point in September. That was the case, as the Georgia product played in Weeks 3 and 4, but a reaggravation of the previous ailment has kept him sidelined ever since. If he can regain his form from last season and serve as a bookend to rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux, New York’s pass rush could receive a considerable boost.

Lastly, veteran safety Tony Jefferson‘s practice window has been opened. The 30-year-old has only played three games in 2022, after following Giants defensive coordinator Don Martindale from Baltimore to the Big Apple. The Giants are dealing with starter Xavier McKinney currently on the shelf due to an ATV accident earlier this month. That could leave defensive snaps available for Jefferson upon his return, especially if the team opts to use more three-safety packages amidst their injuries at cornerback.

Each player now has a three-week time period within which they must be activated to be eligible to play again in 2022. If all three are brought back, the Giants will have used up each of their remaining activations for the season, but they will also have at least rotational contributors in place for the stretch run.