After a successful stint with the surprising Rams, Connor Barwin is headed back east to attempt a similar turnaround.
The veteran linebacker said Monday he has agreed to terms with the New York Giants. Barwin announced the news via Twitter.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per a source informed, that it's a two-year deal worth up to $5 million.
Barwin is very familiar with the NFC East, having spent the middle portion of his career (2013-2016) with the Philadelphia Eagles. He voyaged west last offseason, joining a Rams team that was coming off a 4-12 finish but owned some underlying promise. The result was a rapid reversal of fortunes, with Barwin contirbuting to the Rams' surprising resurgence with 34 tackles and 5.0 sacks in 14 games.
For his career, Barwin has logged 354 tackles and 55.5 sacks in nine seasons (though he only recorded statistics in eight of those nine campaigns).
To see how Barwin might fit into new defensive coordinator James Bettcher's defense, one mustn't look far beyond last season, in which Barwin occupied essentially the same role in Wade Phillips' defense in Los Angeles. Opposite Olivier Vernon, who will transition from 4-3 rush end to 3-4 Sam backer (a slight difference in term and responsibility, but visually similar), Barwin slots as an outside backer with experience and capability to play on all downs, including as a third-down sub package pass rusher with his hand on the ground. He won't play every down (Barwin played on 61 percent of Rams defensive snaps last season, per Next Gen Stats), but he's a proven commodity with an added ability to tutor his younger counterparts.
Barwin said earlier in July he was holding out to join a Super Bowl contender. Though the Giants are coming off a 3-13 season, it's not difficult to foresee another 180 engineered by a team stocked with talent under a new head coach. Should that happen, folks might want to start treating Barwin like a good luck charm.
