If the New York Giants make a move prior to the 2024 NFL trade deadline, they’re expected to sell, not buy. And one relatively obvious trade chip since the start of the season has been fourth-year edge rusher Azeez Ojulari.
The Athletic’s Dan Duggan discussed a few potential trade destinations for Ojulari on October 31, while responding to fans.
“[The Detroit] Lions need to get a pass rusher, so that’d make sense [for Ojulari],” Duggan began. “I’d keep an eye on the [Atlanta] Falcons and [Arizona] Cardinals, also.”
“I know the Giants are posturing like they’d need to be blown away to trade [Ojulari], but I don’t buy it,” the NYG beat reporter went on. “He’s going to be a backup again when Kayvon [Thibodeaux] returns and they’re not going to pay to keep him [in free agency]. They should take what they can get.”
When asked to expound upon why the Giants would not consider re-signing or extending Ojulari — who has had some success in 2024 with Thibodeaux sidelined — Duggan offered an explanation.
“Kayvon [Thibodeaux] is going to have a ~$15M cap hit on his fifth-year option in 2026,” he noted. “[Brian] Burns will have a $31M cap hit in 2026. I really like Azeez [Ojulari], but this team has enough front-line holes where I don’t think they have the luxury of spending big on depth.”
“And I think Azeez [Ojulari] is going to cash in,” Duggan added. “Pass rushers get paid and he’s going to be 24 [years old] coming off a season with, say, eight sacks. I’d set the floor at $10M [per] year.”
The “Talkin’ Giants” podcast speculated that the Giants could net a sixth-round pick for Ojulari — based on the Kansas City Chiefs’ trade for Joshua Uche.
Giants Could Get Kayvon Thibodeaux Back as Soon as Week 10: Report
Ojulari has been starting with Thibodeaux injured, but the latter could return as soon as next week according to Duggan.
“Kavyon Thibodeaux was running on a side field with trainers,” he reported from practice on October 31. “[Thibodeaux is] eligible to be activated from IR next week.”
The beat writer clarified that Thibodeaux told him that Week 10 is “an ambitious goal, but he’s shooting for it.”
So, at the very least, it seems like the former first-round talent should be back by Week 12, barring a setback. As a reminder, after spending Week 10 in Germany, the Giants will get their bye in Week 11.
Knowing that there is a bye week following the overseas matchup with the Carolina Panthers, it’s possible Big Blue will choose to play it safe and wait until Week 12 to activate Thibodeaux.
Of course, that also means that the Giants could be forced to endure one game without Thibodeaux or Ojulari — let’s say they were to trade the latter before November 5.
49ers Named as Another Potential Trade Destination for Giants OLB Azeez Ojulari
Along with the Lions, Falcons and Cardinals, NFL.com contributor Kevin Patra highlighted the San Francisco 49ers as a potential trade “fit” for Ojulari on October 29.
“The 49ers could use some help on both sides of the ball, but with Diontae Johnson – who might have been an ideal short-term sub for Brandon Aiyuk — off the table, let’s focus on the defense,” Patra wrote.
Continuing: “Kyle Shanahan’s club has depth questions behind star Nick Bosa and veteran Leonard Floyd. Bosa, as per usual, leads the team with 44 QB pressures and 4.5 sacks. Floyd has shown he has some juice, putting up 24 pressures and three sacks. But the production falls off after them. Adding another rotational edge player — just like GM John Lynch did last year at the deadline — could jumpstart the entire unit. Picking up another interior player, with Javon Hargrave out, also could be an option.”
Patra went on to call Ojulari a “sensation” with Thibodeaux sidelined.
“He’s generated six sacks on the season, five over the past three games, and his 14 percent pressure rate is excellent,” the NFL writer explained. “The 24-year-old would pair well opposite Bosa and help keep Floyd fresh for the stretch run.”
Similar to Duggan, Patra concluded that “Big Blue should get what they can for the young pass rusher now” with him likely to walk in free agency next spring.
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