John Harbaugh keeps reaching back into Baltimore for help, and the Giants just added another familiar face to the mix.
Linebacker Chandler Martin is the latest former Ravens defender to land in New York, with Adam Schefter reporting Monday that the Giants signed the second-year pro. Martin now joins a group that already includes Isaiah Likely, Patrick Ricard, Daniel Faalele, and Ar'Darius Washington, among others.
The move gives Martin another shot after a winding start to his pro career. He came into the league as an undrafted free agent with Baltimore last offseason, missed the Ravens’ initial 53-man roster, then worked his way onto the active roster later in the year.
Martin appeared in three games down the stretch, playing 34 snaps and lining up only on special teams. He did not take a defensive snap.
His season ended when he tore his ACL, but Schefter reported that Martin has since been fully cleared to play.
New York already has a crowded linebacker room, which makes this a long climb for Martin if he wants to stick on the final roster. Tremaine Edmunds and Arvell Reese are starting, Micah McFadden and rookie standout Jack Kelly are behind them, and even Darius Muasau - who started 11 games last season - is not a lock. Zaire Barnes and Anfernee Orji are also in the mix, so Martin will have to make his case fast.
Where he can help right away is on special teams, and that matters in Harbaugh’s world. A former special teams coach, Harbaugh has long valued players who can do damage in the third phase of the game.
Martin isn’t the only addition New York made after its preseason loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The Giants also signed quarterback Jake Haener and brought running back Najee Harris in for a visit on Monday. To create room, they released running back Dante Miller.
The roster churn doesn’t look like it’s slowing down anytime soon for Harbaugh and general manager Joe Schoen.
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