The Giants’ roster looks a lot different than it did a year ago, and that makeover has opened the door to a potentially big decision on one of their most recognizable defenders.
In a recent ESPN trade piece, Seth Walder floated a move that would send edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux to the New England Patriots. Under that proposal, the Giants would ship Thibodeaux and a 2027 fifth-round pick to New England in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick.
Thibodeaux is on the fifth-year option of his four-year, $31.3 million rookie contract, and he’s set to become a free agent after this coming season. With the Giants now looking strong on the edge, Walder argued this could be the moment to move him.
“While there was an argument for having him as a third edge rusher behind Brian Burns and Abdul Carter in the past, New York now also has first-round pick Arvell Reese, who plays linebacker and edge,” Walder states in the piece. “To keep Thibodeaux around at this price point to potentially be the team's No. 4 edge rusher isn't ideal.”
Walder also said that even if the Patriots aren’t the destination, the Giants should look for a team that needs an edge rusher, can absorb Thibodeaux’s 2026 contract, and “is an immediate contender, given his pending free agent status.”
The return in the proposed deal may look light, but Walder’s reasoning comes back to the contract. As he noted, “all about the contract, as Thibodeaux has only one year left on his deal and is getting paid pretty close to what he would probably make on the open market.”
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