For the 2026 season, the New York Giants are rebuilding the defense. Stopping the run was a challenge for the team in 2025. They allowed a league-worst 5.2 yards per attempt. Additionally, their opponents averaged 145.3 rushing yards per game. That was second-worst, to only the Cincinnati Bengals.
Recently, ESPN insider Jordan Raanan reported that the team attempted to trade with one of the top AFC teams this offseason. Raanan shared that New York tried trading with the Chiefs for linebacker Drue Tranquill. However, discussions never went far, and Tranquill took a pay cut to stay with the Chiefs. Instead, the team signed free agent Trmaine Edmunds to a three-year contract.
The Giants were not successful in trading with the Chiefs for Drue Tranquill
Drue Tranquill ultimately chose to stay with Kansas City
In March, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan noted that the Giants were in discussions with the Chiefs about trading for a linebacker. At the time, there were no specifics about the player New York wanted to pursue. On a recent episode of the Breaking Big Blue podcast, Raanan reported that Drue Tranquill was the linebacker the Giants tried to trade for.
Those trade discussions did not go very far. Instead, the veteran linebacker chose to take a pay cut to stay with Kansas City. Tranquill’s base salary went from $6 million to $3.5 million in 2026. He prioritized staying with the Chiefs rather than signing with the Giants long-term. Despite not landing Tranquill, the Giants were able to upgrade at linebacker in free agency.
Tremaine Edmunds joined the Giants in free agency
As a cost-cutting move, the New York Giants parted ways with linebacker Bobby Okereke. That created $9 million in cap space for 2026. New York will also take on $5.4 million in dead money. The Giants needed to add talent at linebacker in free agency, and they signed a former first-round pick out of Virginia Tech in 2018. Tremaine Edmunds started his career with the Buffalo Bills and was with the Chicago Bears for the previous three seasons.
Edmunds signed a three-year, $36 million deal with the Giants. The 27-year-old was guaranteed $23.7 million at signing. In each of his first eight professional seasons, Edmunds has finished with at least 102 combined tackles. He’ll look to extend that streak with the Giants. Additionally, Edmunds has started all 119 games he’s appeared in. New York plans for Edmunds to be a key piece defensively.
Along with Edmunds, the Giants also signed linebacker Micah McFadden to a one-year, $3.5 million “prove-it” deal. McFadden has been with New York for the last four seasons. The 26-year-old suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1 of the 2025 season. There are rumors that the team could add more help at linebacker through the 2026 NFL draft. Many scouts and draft analysts see Ohio State’s Sonny Styles as a perfect prospect for what the Giants are trying to build on defense. New York owns the fifth overall pick in this month’s draft.
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