Defense coordinator Shane Bowen of the New York Giants wants to develop a stronger pass rush around Kayvon Thibodeaux, and he may accomplish this goal by bringing in veteran outside linebacker Leonard Floyd during the 2024 NFL free agency period.
Floyd is a good fit for the Giants, according to Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus. Floyd was the ninth player picked in the 2016 draft. Spielberger noted that “there is the connection here with general manager Joe Schoen previously working with the Buffalo Bills, and the Giants need to add several pieces on the edge for new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen.”
General manager Joe Schoen might be able to negotiate a trade for an edge-rusher who is improving in his latter years if he is still in communication with the Buffalo Bills. Floyd recorded 10.5 sacks for the Bills in 2023, tying a career-high total. This was his fourth consecutive season with at least nine quarterback takedowns.
Floyd is a nice fit for Bowen’s defense, which Schoen has intimated will be more aggressive on early downs than it was under former DC Don “Wink” Martindale.
After being a top-10 choice by the Chicago Bears, Floyd had four mediocre seasons teetering on the verge of bust status. When Floyd signed with the Los Angeles Rams in 2020, things took a change for the better. He quickly recorded double-digit sacks for the first time in his career and went on to win a Super Bowl the following season.
Floyd got the chance to show that his three successful seasons in Los Angeles weren’t an exception by joining the Bills during the previous offseason. According to Buffalo Bills PR, he became the first Bills pass-rusher to record 10 or more sacks since Lorenzo Alexander in 2016.
With plays like this sack against the Washington Commanders in Week 3, which WROC-TV’s Thad Brown highlighted, Floyd achieved the milestone. With some excellent pace around the bend and a clever slide beneath Andrew Wylie, the right tackle, he won.
In the pros, Floyd is finally displaying the athleticism that made him a success at Georgia, week after week. All things considered, the 31-year-old has developed into a force to be reckoned with in a game.
According to Next Gen Stats, Floyd accomplished this in the first half of the Week 4 game against Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins, “generating 5 pressures on 11 pass rushes.”
With the Giants system poised to unleash pass-rushers from base fronts, Floyd might be the ideal bookend for Thibodeaux, as demonstrated by performances like that one.
There Will Be More Pass-Rush Opportunities for Kayvon Thibodeaux
According to Bobby Skinner of Talkin’ Giants, Bowen informed reporters at the annual NFL Scouting Combine that the Giants’ defense will look different in 2024.
In particular, Schoen described how More run-stoppers on first and second down were Wink’s preference. Now that we are at the third down, we can do the exotics, blitz, and other moves. Shane’s approach will lean more toward pursuing the passer and stopping the run en route to the passer. Seek out additional edge players with the capacity to rush the passer.
For Thibodeaux, who emerged in his second season as a game-changer of his own, this mentality shift should be encouraging. From four to 11.5 sacks, the fifth overall pick in 2022 increased his totals.
Thibodeaux’s progress was especially noteworthy because the Giants didn’t have another strong edge-rusher. Boogie Basham, Jihad Ward, and Azeez Ojulari were all unable to compromise defense in the same manner.
According to Pro Football Reference, Thibodeaux’s breakout season was supported by four games in which he had multiple sacks; however, he failed to register a point in his final four games. With more help, Thibodeaux would undoubtedly be a more reliable source of huge plays.
Floyd would offer adequate assistance at a comparatively low cost—$8.1 million per year, according to Spotrac.com. It falls well inside the $35,319,267 that Schoen is allotted under the pay ceiling.
