Tag: Bobby Okereke

Giants restructure contract of veteran LB Bobby Okereke

The New York Giants got into salary cap compliance on Thursday, restructuring the contract of LB Bobby Okereke.

With the “Top 51” accounting deadline closing on Thursday, the New York Giants have restructured the contract of inside linebacker Bobby Okereke.

https://twitter.com/FieldYates/status/1831813708596834394

Under the “Rule of 51” in the NFL, only the most expensive 51 cap hits are counted against the salary cap, which is $255.4 million for the 2024 season.

Okereke signed a four-year, $40 million free agent deal last March. He spent his first four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts.

This is the second time since Okereke signed that deal that the Giants have restructured. Last September, they converted $820K of his 2023 salary into a signing bonus, clearing $615K of cap space.

In his first season with the Giants, Okereke recorded 149 tackles (11 for a loss), six QB hits, 2.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, 10 passes defensed, and two interceptions.

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Giants’ Daniel Jones named among 5 captains for 2024 season

The New York Giants have voted in five captains ahead of the 2024 regular season, including quarterback Daniel Jones.

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll announced on Tuesday afternoon that the players have voted the following five teammates to be team captains for the 2024 season:

Quarterback Daniel Jones and left tackle Andrew Thomas on offense, defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and linebacker Bobby Okereke on defense, and long snapper Casey Kreiter on special teams.

“Players voted for captains today. There will be five of them,” Daboll told reporters. “Casey Kreiter on special teams. Daniel Jones and Andrew Thomas on offense. Dexter and Bobby on defense. Those were voted by their teammates.”

Last season, the team voted 10 players to be team captains, which was excessive. Jones, Thomas, Lawrence, and Okereke were among the group.

Daboll delivered the message at his media session at 1:30 p.m. EDT, two-and-a-half hours before the deadline for final roster cuts.

“This year there is less captains. So, I think that holds a little bit more weight,” Thomas told reporters. “Guys respect you a lot more. We brought a lot of other veteran guys along, even if they’re not captains, that have done a good job on both sides of the ball, just being leaders and trying to get everybody on the same page.”

Like Thomas, Okereke also seemed pleased with a reduction in the number of team captains.

“Every year is a different year. Every team’s a new team. I think the best fit for our team this year was the five captains. Great guys who have different leadership styles, different experiences and wisdom, and I think we’ll do a great job,” he said.

“Just based off everything that’s unfolded, it’s kind of the right fit.”

Having just five captains instead of 10 should benefit the Giants in theory, but that’s not to say other voices won’t be heard.

“Different leadership styles, some guys lead by example, some guys are rah-rah guys. It just adds to the collective,” Okereke said.

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Giants’ Bobby Okereke says defense is ‘in a good spot’

New York Giants LB Bobby Okereke feels the defense is “in a good spot” as Shane Bowen continues installing his defensive scheme.

During the offseason, the New York Giants lost former defensive coordinator Wink Martindale and replaced him with new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen.

With a new defensive scheme to learn and new personnel on the field, the defense as a whole has to work hard to be ready for the regular season.

Bowen is spearheading the installation of his defensive scheme, and Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke says the unit is in a good spot.

“We’re in a good spot,” Okereke said Thursday after practice. “We’re growing every day. Obviously, we’re still installing. Guys are still getting a feel for each other, how we communicate, how we play. It’s still day six or seven of camp, so we still have a lot of growth. This joint practice (against the Detroit Lions) will be a good test for us, and we’ll just keep growing as we go.”

Guys are still getting a feel for each other, and Okereke is also building rapport with Bowen. As the quarterback of the defense, Bowen and Okereke need to be on the same page.

“It is a growing relationship. Shane has to get to know me. I got to get to know him. How we’re going to be in stressful situations as the plays go on. But I think we’re developing a great rapport,” Okereke said.

Okereke led the defense last season with 149 tackles (92 solo), 2.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, two interceptions, 10 passes defensed and four forced fumbles. His on-field communication is key to the success of the defense.

Okereke has to pay attention to everything on the field at all times, and that goes for practice too. So when he says the defense is “in a good spot,” it’s probably safe to trust his opinion.

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Giants’ Bobby Okereke: Shane Bowen-led defense will dominate in 2024

New York Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke believes the defense will “dominate” in 2024 under coordinator Shane Bowen.

One of the biggest storylines in the early part of the New York Giants offseason was the confusing and ugly departure of defensive coordinator Wink Martindale.

The Giants would eventually replace him with Shane Bowen, who worked as the Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator the previous three seasons.

Linebacker Bobby Okereke, who had arguably his best season in his first season in a Giants’ uniform under Martindale, seems to be excited about the defense under Shane Bowen.

Okereke previously spoke highly of his expectations about the Giants’ defense heading into 2024. Now he’s at it again, praising Bowen during an appearance on Up & Adams with Kay Adams.

“It’s almost about as 180 of a flip as it can be,” Okereke said. “Going from Wink — I loved that system, attacking, blitzing all the time — to Shane, very methodical, probably one of the most cerebral defensive coordinators I’ve ever been around. Just the way he sees the game, the way he’s gonna call it, the way he coaches it, the attention to detail. Yeah, I think we’re gonna dominate this year, and it’s gonna be led by him.”

Martindale brought out the best in a few players like Okereke, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Dexter Lawrence. It will be interesting to see how the strengths of the Giants’ defense shift to Bowen’s system.

Of course, the addition of elite pass rusher Brian Burns is only going to help the Giants’ strong front seven.

Okereke played every defensive snap for the Giants last season and arguably should have been a Pro Bowler. With the change to Bowen, the Giants’ defensive approach is going to look a lot different in 2024.

However, clearly Okereke has confident in what his new defensive coordinator brings to the table.

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CBS Sports names Giants’ Bobby Okereke a top 10 linebacker

CBS Sports ranks New York Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke among the top 10 best at his position in the NFL.

New York Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke was impressive in his first season in blue. He had, collectively, his best season as a pro and at times during the season, was noticeably the best player on the field.

Okereke is certainly one of the more underrated linebackers in the league. However, he is starting to get the praise he deserves.

For the second time this offseason, Okereke was ranked among the best linebackers in the league — this time by CBS Sports.

10. Bobby Okereke, New York Giants

Okereke played 100% of defensive snaps in his first season with the Giants, and had a career year with 149 combined tackles, 2.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, 10 passes defensed, 11 tackles for loss and two interceptions. His performance in the Week 6 loss to Buffalo was epic, as he recorded 11 combined tackles, two tackles for loss, two passes defensed and a forced fumble. He also tipped up an interception for teammate Micah McFadden. Giants fans are rightfully very excited for Okereke’s future. 

Okereke, of course, was signed by the Giants in free agency last offseason on a four-year deal. The signing was overshadowed by the team’s trade for tight end Darren Waller. However, unlike Waller, Okereke seems to be a piece the Giants can build around for years to come.

As impressive as he was last season, with the addition of Brian Burns to the defense, Okereke may be even better in Year 2 in a Giants uniform. Okereke is as excited as anyone to show the league what the Giants’ defense can be in 2024.

While Okereke arguably should have been a Pro Bowler last year, he is starting to get noticed for his efforts and was recently named as a candidate to be a first-time Pro Bowler in 2024.

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Pro Football Focus thinks highly of Giants’ linebacker unit

Pro Football Focus ranks the New York Giants’ linebackers unit among the NFL’s very best.

Throughout their century-long history, the New York Giants have sported some of the most legendary linebacker units in the NFL. Their eight championship teams had many a Hall of Famer and Ring of Honoree among the linebacker ranks leading the way.

Players such as Sam Huff, Lawrence Taylor, Brad Van Pelt, and Harry Carson became legends chasing quarterbacks and hammering ball carriers over the years.

After a few years of searching for the right mix, Big Blue’s linebacker group is back among the league’s best, says Pro Football Focus, who ranked them fifth overall.

The Giants are solid at their starting linebacker spots. Bobby Okereke’s 78.9 PFF grade ranked 13th at the position in 2023, and Micah McFadden came in at No. 46 in his second season in the league. They also have Isaiah Simmons, who hasn’t lived up to his billing as a top-10 draft pick but was a useful depth player for the team last year, earning an 82.7 PFF coverage grade on 203 snaps.

PFF does not include outside linebackers Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari in this piece but both do line up at the linebacker position in the team’s base alignment.

Recently acquired Brian Burns is being listed as a defensive end, but he will fill the role of edge rusher in the 3-4-4 base.

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Wild Bleacher Report prediction: Giants tank, trade Bobby Okereke in 2024

Bleacher Report offers up a wild 2024 prediction, saying the New York Giants intentionally tank and trade LB Bobby Okereke. Um. Ok.

The 2024 NFL regular season is still months away and there’s nothing much to do or talk about until training camps open at the end of July.

Until then, there’s going to be a lot of speculation and predictions on the net and airwaves that are going to attempt to fill the void.

One such article from Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report has the New York Giants “tanking” for a top draft pick and also trading star linebacker Bobby Okereke (or wide receiver Darius Slayton).

In other words, the Giants admit — just a year-and-a-half after giving him a huge new contract — that quarterback Daniel Jones isn’t the answer. And if that’s the case, the team likely knows it has to gain more draft capital to land that next franchise QB.

The “problem” is there is plenty of talent outside of that potential for Big Blue, with Malik Nabers and Brian Burns sprucing things up this offseason on either side of the ball and most of a core including Dexter Lawrence and Andrew Thomas still in place.

The Giants might accidentally compete, even if Jones continues to be ineffective. That could force the organization to tank down the stretch, the first chapter of which would come with a trade involving a veteran like Darius Slayton or Bobby Okereke as well as future draft capital in return for a potential top-five pick.

As we’ve discussed before, “tanking” is difficult to do in the NFL as the game cannot be played at less than full speed. There are also jobs on the line from the roster to the front office that the incumbents would like to keep. Nobody intentionally loses in the NFL, especially not a John Mara-run team.

As for the trade piece, Slayton could surely be traded — especially if one or more of the young wideouts break out — but he’s in the final year of his contract and won’t garner much in return.

Okereke is in the second year of a four-year deal, and if he plays as well as he did last season, he’s worth the $10 million per. Not sure the Giants would deal a top linebacker in his prime.

So, yeah. No.

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2 Giants among candidates to become first-time Pro Bowlers in 2024

CBS Sports has identified these two New York Giants as potential first-time Pro Bowlers in 2024.

The New York Giants have been drafting high in the order in recent years and scoring big in free agency which has their fans enthusiastic about their chances this coming season.

They are producing their own stars as well as importing them. In a recent piece for CBS Sports, Cody Benjamin identified two Giants as candidates to become first-time Pro Bowlers in 2024.

The first is this year’s top draft pick, wide receiver Malik Nabers, taken sixth overall by the Giants out of LSU. They are hoping that Nabers follows the same path that other Tiger star wideouts (Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase) blazed the past decade.

The first rookie on the list, Nabers brings much-needed electricity to the Giants’ offense. Considering the dearth of other top-tier weapons in the lineup, he could receive a mountainous target share from Daniel Jones and Co.

The other player is inside linebacker Bobby Okereke, who general manager Joe Schoen adroitly brought in on a four-year free agent deal last March.

A sideline-to-sideline force in his Giants debut, Okereke has been a tackle machine since his days with the Indianapolis Colts. With Brian Burns added to the front seven, his impact might be felt even more.

Okereke, who played 100 percent of the defensive snaps last year and called the defensive signals, had a career-tying 149 total tackles (92 solo, 11 for a loss) last season, which was ninth in the NFL.

He added 2.5 sacks, 10 passes defensed, two interceptions, six QB hits, and four forced fumbles.

It’s honestly a travesty that Okereke was snubbed from the Pro Bowl last year in the first place.

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2 Giants named to Pete Prisco’s Top 100 Players of 2024 list

Two members of the New York Giants have been named to Pete Prisco’s NFL Top 100 Players of 2024 list.

The summer lull is in full effect around the NFL and in order to fill the void, Pete Prisco of CBS Sports has released his annual list of the league’s top 100 players.

In 2023, three New York Giants made the cut — left tackle Andrew Thomas, nose tackle Dexter Lawrence, and running back Saquon Barkley.

With Barkley now a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, they lose a name off that list. And after an injury-riddled season, Thomas, although given an “honorable mention,” was also knocked off the list.

There was an addition, however.

Two Giants made Prisco’s NFL Top 100 Players of 2024 list, beginning with the aforementioned Lawrence, who checked in at No. 19 overall.

He is a massive man in the middle of the New York defense who makes it tough to run inside. But he is also a power pass rusher inside who can really push the pocket, which makes him far more than just a one-dimensional run stuffer. (Last season: No. 34)

The argument could be made that Lawrence is still ranked entirely too low.

Next up for the Giants — their final entry on this list — is newcomer Brian Burns, who was acquired in an offseason trade with the Carolina Panthers. He is ranked No. 96 overall, which is way down from a year ago.

He has 20 1/2 sacks the past two seasons, but this is a big year for him to prove he can be one of the league’s best. The Giants traded a lot to get him to pair with Kayvon Thibodeaux, so he has to produce. (Last season: No. 67)

In addition to Thomas, linebacker Bobby Okereke also earned an “honorable mention.”

For those wondering, Barkley was also left off the list but earned his own “honorable mention.”

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Led by ex-Giant Osi Umenyiora, NFL Africa expands to Nigeria

Retired New York Giants great Osi Umenyiora has helped lead NFL Africa into Nigeria, where Bobby Okereke and Kayvon Thibodeaux are helping.

The NFL Africa program expanded to Lagos, Nigeria this week, where they are currently (June 14-18) holding a football talent identification camp in addition to NFL FLAG activities.

“It’s truly an honor to be leading the NFL’s efforts across Africa and expand key programming into a fourth country across the continent, Nigeria — a place that is very close to my heart,” said ex-New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora, the NFL’s Africa lead.

“We’ve seen the incredible impact the program has had on young athletes’ lives to date, and we look forward to creating more opportunities for global talent to play the game and grow that impact in the years ahead.”

Following his retirement in 2015, Umenyiora took a pundit position at BBC Sport and became engaged with the league’s overseas ventures — the NFL International Series and NFL Africa.

As part of NFL Africa, Umenyiora has helped discover several new players who have traveled to America and joined NFL teams. Among the discoveries was former Giants offensive lineman Roy Mbaeteka, a Nigerian native who spent time with the team in 2022 via the International Player Pathway Program.

Last year, the London-born Umenyiora helped lead NFL Africa into Kenyan and has now followed that up with his country of descent, Nigeria (Igbo).

Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke and Kayvon Thibodeaux are also in Lagos with Umenyiora, joining a group of other NFL players who are taking part in the camp.

Several current NFL players will join talent identification camp events in Lagos, including David Njoku of the Cleveland Browns, Bobby Okereke and Kayvon Thibodeaux of the New York Giants, Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks and free agent Prince Tega ​Wanogho.

In total, 21 prospects from 10 countries across Africa will participate in the identification camp.

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