The New York Giants shocked many around the league when they traded for Carolina Panthers edge rusher Brian Burns. New York needed to add to its defense, so adding Burns wasn’t the surprising part. What surprised many was the contract extension Burns quickly received from the team.
Trading for Burns and then giving him a $150 million contract shows the Giants value Burns over young edge rusher Azeez Ojulari, the latter of whom is expected to go from being a starter to a situational rusher. While some have suggested that Ojulari could be used as trade capital, that doesn’t appear to be the Giants’ intention yet.
Ojulari is entering the final year of his rookie deal. When he’s been healthy–his greatest challenge–he’s been productive, recording 16 sacks in 35 games.
But again, Ojulari, who has missed 16 games in three seasons, hasn’t quite made the impact the Giants hoped he would when they drafted him in the second round of the 2020 draft.
So why retain Ojulari if Burns is on board? Perhaps the hope is that reducing the former Georgia star to a part-time, specialized role will help him stay healthy and be productive enough to continue contributing to the team’s plans moving forward.
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