The Giants made a small roster move on Thursday, but it came with a bigger message about how this summer is unfolding in East Rutherford.
New York signed linebacker Anfernee Orji to the 90-man roster after a successful follow-up workout at training camp, then opened a spot by waiving undrafted rookie defensive lineman Ben Barten out of Wisconsin. On paper, it’s the kind of transaction that barely registers. In reality, it was the latest sign of how crowded the Giants’ defensive line has become.
Barten wasn’t pushed out because he failed to impress. He got caught in the squeeze.
Joe Schoen spent the offseason loading up the defensive line with bodies, bringing in 10 new players for the group: DJ Reader, Shelby Harris, Leki Fotu, Zacch Pickens, Sam Roberts, Josh Tupou, Marlon Davidson, Bobby Jamison-Travis, Anquin Barnes Jr., and Barten. For an undrafted rookie trying to carve out a path, that’s a brutal starting point.
That’s why the move to make room for Orji makes sense. The linebacker room has a very different look, and it’s a group that could use help.
Tremaine Edmunds is the headliner, but the depth behind him is far less settled. Micah McFadden is working back after a Lisfranc injury ended his season.
Arvell Reese is a 20-year-old rookie adjusting to a new(ish) role. Jack "Cannonball" Kelly, a sixth-round rookie, is still a wild card.
Darius Muasau and Zaire Barnes are former sixth-round picks who have yet to show they can be steady snap options.
Orji brings something tangible to that mix. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound linebacker has 16 games of experience and has logged meaningful work on special teams.
The Giants first brought him in for a minicamp tryout in June and liked what they saw, but they didn’t move immediately. Instead, they let him continue rehabbing from last year’s torn ACL and waited until Thursday’s workout served as the final medical check on his knee.
Once Orji cleared that hurdle, the Giants made the swap. Schoen trimmed from a crowded defensive line to add another body to a linebacker group that needed one.
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