According to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, the Giants have a meeting scheduled with impending free agent DE Justin Tuck and his representatives this week at the Scouting Combine.
Raanan adds that they will attempt to reach an agreement on a new contract that will keep Tuck a Giant for life.
However, Tuck’s agent, Doug Hendrickson, expects there to be a lot of interest in his client on the open market, which could ultimately complicate long-term discussions.
“Justin is by far the most complete d-end in the class,” Hendrickson said. “He can play the 4-3, he can play the 3-4.
“He obviously had an incredible season last year with every stat he had with the tackles, tackles for loss, the hurries and the sacks. They were up there with the upper-echelon defensive linemen.”
Tuck, 30, put together a very solid season, despite the Giants overall struggles this year. Pro Football Focus has Tuck rated as the No. 7 4-3 defensive end and he produced 57 tackles, nine sacks, a forced fumble and an interception this season.
It is conceivable that the Giants would allow Tuck to sign elsewhere during free agency given that they do have Jason Pierre-Paul, Mathias Kiwanuka, and Damontre Moore at defensive end.
With Tuck already in his thirties, he may have a hard time securing the type of contract that he’s believed to be looking for, as defensive end is one of the deepest positions in free agency. Last year, teams were reluctant to spend a lot on aging pass rusher, so it will be interesting to see Tuck is able to beat Osi Umenyiora‘s two-year, $8.5 million contract that included $5 million guaranteed.
We have Tuck listed as the No. 43 player in our Top 50 Free Agents list.
Looking for the latest NFL Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow NFL Trade Rumors on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NFL News and Rumors for all 32 teams!
