The New York Giants have bolstered their pass rush with one of the top edge rushers in the NFL.
The Giants agreed to acquire Brian Burns from the Carolina Panthers, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Monday.
Burns is getting a five-year contract worth up to $150 million with $87.5 million in guarantees, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal can’t be completed until Wednesday.
The Panthers will receive a 2024 second-round pick and a 2025 fifth-rounder, according to another person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal isn’t finalized.
Burns, a two-time Pro Bowl pick, will sign his franchise tag to facilitate the deal. Burns becomes the second-highest paid defensive end in NFL history.
The Giants had only 34 sacks last season.
The Giants landed a marquee defensive player on a day they lost star running back Saquon Barkley to the Eagles. The Giants quickly replaced Barkley by agreeing to terms with Devin Singletary.
Burns, who turns 26 next month, had 46 sacks in five seasons in Carolina. Only recent Hall of Fame selection Julius Peppers had more sacks in his first five seasons with the Panthers. Burns had 50 tackles and eight sacks in 2023 after moving from defensive end to outside linebacker with the Panthers moving to a 3-4 scheme.
The compensation for Burns is much less than what the Panthers would have received had they traded him last summer when the Los Angeles Rams offered two first- round picks for the 2019 first-round draft pick.
Last year’s general manager Scott Fitterer has since been fired.
The decision to move on from Burns will save the Panthers $24 million under the salary cap this season — the money he would have been paid as their franchise tag player. The Panthers had tried to work out a long-term deal with Burns last year and most recently at the NFL combine, but failed to come to terms on an agreement.
The Panthers were able to restock their draft capital.
They now have seven overall picks this April, including two picks (No. 33 and 39) in the second round.
However, the Panthers traded away their first-round pick in 2024 — what turned out to be the No. 1 overall pick after finishing 2-15 — when they moved up to get quarterback Bryce Young last year.
Carolina also lost its other productive starting outside linebacker Frankie Luvu, who agreed to terms with the Washington Commanders on Monday. Those won’t be easy losses to overcome for defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who agreed to return to Carolina after failing to land a head coaching job.
The Panthers did agree to terms with free agent guard Robert Hunt from the Miami Dolphins on a whopping five-year, $100 million contract, that includes $63 million in guaranteed money.
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AP Sports Writer Steve Reed contributed to this report.
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