As the 2024 NFL trade deadline came and went, the New York Giants decided against dealing linebacker Azeez Ojulari. Teams may have been unwilling to meet the Giants' asking price.
To acquire Ojulari, New York was reportedly asking for at least a fifth-round pick, via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. The Arizona Cardinals acquiring Baron Browning from the Denver Broncos for a fifth-rounder helped set the barometers of New York's required trade skeleton.
But no team was willing to match it, and General Manager Joe Schoen was unwilling to budge. Now, the Giants find themselves in an almost stickier situation.
Ojulari is set to be a free agent at the end of the season. New York already has Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux locked up on long-term deals. Giving another one to Ojulari might be redundant.
But there is now doubting how strong of an NFL player Ojulari has become. Through nine games in 2024, the linebacker has 26 tackles, nine quarterback hits and six sacks. With three more sacks, Ojulari would set the career-high of eight he had as a rookie. Over his entire four-year tenure with the Giants, Ojulari has made 105 tackles, 36 quarterback hits and 22 sacks.
Perhaps the Giants do plan on giving Ojulari a long-term deal. For Schoen to hold so firm on his asking price, it would seem fortuitous to have a backup plan in his pocket. But he's the same general manager that let Saquon Barkley walk away in free agency for free; to the Philadelphia Eagles no less. Azeez Ojulari could soon face the same fate.
New York is just 2-7 on the season. Their riding a four-game losing streak, most recently falling 27-22 to the Washington Commanders. It seems as if the future is the focus in New York. But unless a fifth-round pick was involved, the Giants were unwilling to deal Ojulari; regardless of optics.
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