It took a record contract to lure coveted defensive end Olivier Vernon to New York.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Vernon signed a five-year deal worth $85 million with the Giants, which includes $52.5 million in guaranteed money.
Olivier Vernon gets $85M over 5 years — WOW — with $52.5M in guarantees.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 9, 2016
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Vernon, 25, joins cornerback Janoris Jenkins and nose tackle Damon Harrison as new arrivals in New York. Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul also re-signed with the Giants this week. The four top free agents will be expected to help remake a Giants defense that gave up the most yards and third-most points in the NFL last season.
Vernon was arguably the top prize of free agency.
A young, ascending pass-rusher, Vernon produced 25.5 sacks over the last three seasons. He was dominant to end 2015, finishing with 5.5 sacks over the final seven games.
The Dolphins gave him the transition tag, but a move to sign Mario Williams forced Miami to rescind the tag and make Vernon a free agent. He’s now one of the top paid defensive players in the NFL after picking New York over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Giants are looking to bounce back after a disappointing 6-10 season. Revitalizing the pass-rush—once the main ingredient in their previous Super Bowl runs—could provide the necessary jolt on defense.
Vernon and Pierre-Paul are young, productive rushers with the potential to become a destructive edge duo for the Giants. It took a huge, historic deal to get Vernon, but New York is clearly being aggressive in fixing one of the NFL’s worst defenses from a year ago.
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