Giants Interested In Marcus Easley
The Bills moved up to the No. 12 selection in the Cordy Glenn trade with Cincinnati and they also hold the No. 22 overall pick in the draft, fueling speculation that they could vault into the top five to select their quarterback of the future. However, it’s hard to imagine the Browns trading down from No. 1 and passing up a chance to get their favorite QB, despite GM John Dorsey‘s proclamation that he is open to a deal. The Bills are effectively blocked from moving up to No. 3 after the Jets acquired that pick from the Colts, so one has to wonder if the Bills will look to engage the Giants for the No. 2 pick. Then again, the Giants also seem unlikely to move down given their need for a successor to Eli Manning or a playmaker like Saquon Barkley.
- The Patriots are among the teams interested in former Bills wide receiver/special teams ace Marcus Easley now that he’s back to full health, league sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). The Giants also have interest, per Wilson.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/19/18
Today’s minor moves:
Detroit Lions
- Re-signed: DT Christian Ringo
New York Giants
- Signed: CB B.W. Webb
Giants To Sign DL Josh Mauro
James Bettcher‘s presence as the Giants’ new defensive coordinator will help bring another former Cardinals defender to the Big Apple.
Having hosted Josh Mauro on a recent visit, the Giants have agreed to terms with the free agent defensive lineman, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Mauro follows outside linebacker Kareem Martin in agreeing to trek to New York after playing for Bettcher in Arizona.
Mauro, 27, started 20 games over the past two seasons. He’ll bring experience as a 3-4 defensive end to a team that’s used a 4-3 defense for many years. Now expected to switch to Bettcher’s preferred 3-4, the Giants are adding a player who knows the responsibilities that come with a five-technique job.
The former UDFA started seven games last season and recorded a sack. He may end up serving as rotational depth. The Giants played second-round pick Dalvin Tomlinson at defensive tackle last season, but with Damon Harrison likely being the nose tackle in 2018, Tomlinson could slide over to end. Big Blue also has Kerry Wynn and Avery Moss as potential ends, although they were brought in to play a different end role.
Giants Sign WR Cody Latimer
Cody Latimer will make the move from Denver to the Big Apple, announcing (via Twitter) he has agreed to terms with the Giants.
Adam Schefter of ESPN.com confirmed the signing (Twitter link), which will relocate a former second-round pick who spent four seasons with the Broncos. Although Latimer didn’t live up to his draft status, he served as a valuable special-teamer in Denver and showed some promise late in his contract year.
The 25-year-old wide receiver did not exceed 100 air yards in a season until 2017, when he 19 passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns. The Indiana product will join several Giants attempting to fill in behind Odell Beckham and Sterling Shepard. Latimer will reunite with Tyke Tolbert, whom the Giants recently hired as their wide receivers coach. Tolbert coached Latimer in each of his four Broncos seasons.
Denver has now lost both of its top reserve wideouts, having also non-tendered RFA Bennie Fowler last week.
Giants To Re-Sign Kerry Wynn
The Giants have agreed to re-sign Kerry Wynn, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’s a one-year deal for the defensive lineman. 
Wynn has been with the Giants for his entire NFL career, dating back to when he entered the league as an undrafted free agent. However, his return was not assured due to the presence of new defensive coordinator James Bettcher. There was some thought that he would not fit well in the former Arizona DC’s 3-4 scheme, but the Giants apparently believe that he can make the transition.
Wynn appeared in 15 games last season, including three starts. He finished out with 19 tackles and a sack.
The Giants also plan on meeting with defensive lineman Josh Mauro, who has history with Bettcher.
Giants To Host DE Josh Mauro
The Giants plan to meet with free agent defensive end Josh Mauro, who was waived by the Cardinals last week, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Mauro would offer scheme familiarity for new Giants defensive coordinator James Bettcher, who held the same title in Arizona from 2015-17. That level of comfort would be extremely important in New York, where the club is switching from a 4-3 front to Bettcher’s preferred 3-4 look. Mauro would be the second former Cardinal to sign with the Giants since the market opened last week, joining outside linebacker Kareem Martin, who inked a three-year, $21MM deal with Big Blue.
Mauro, 27, spent the better parts of four seasons in the desert, and started 13 games as recently as 2016. Last year, however, Mauro played on just 31.5% of the Cardinals’ defensive snaps, fourth-most among Arizona’s defensive linemen. Pro Football Focus wasn’t impressed with his effort, grading Mauro as a bottom-10 interior defender among 122 qualifiers.
NFC Notes: Lions, Ngata, Giants
Here’s a quick look at the NFC:
- Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata inked a one-year, $2.6MM fully guaranteed deal ($3MM maximum value) with the Eagles this week, but he had the same offer on the table from the Lions, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears (video link). He chose the Eagles because he felt they were a better scheme fit for him. In Philadelphia’s two-gap system, Ngata is hoping to get back to his old form as he backs up Fletcher Cox and Timmy Jernigan.
- The Giants restructured linebacker Alec Ogletree‘s contract to prorate the $7MM roster bonus he was due over the remaining four years of his contract, a source tells Dan Duggan of The Athletic (on Twitter). His cap hit will be reduced from $10MM to $4.75MM in 2018, according to ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan (on Twitter).
- Bears tight end Dion Sims remained on the team’s roster today and now has $4MM of his $6MM base salary fully guaranteed for 2018, as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter) notes.
Colts Interested In OL Justin Pugh
Giants free agent offensive lineman Justin Pugh is weighing an offer from the Cardinals, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). At the same time, the Colts are working on flying him in for a visit. 
Pugh has experience at four different offensive line positions and stands as one of the best free agents left on the board. He missed half of 2017 due to injuries but he was recently cleared to resume football activities, so it seems likely that he’ll sign soon.
Last year, the Colts ranked dead last in adjusted sack rate and 18th in adjusted line yards, per Football Outsiders, so they’re looking to improve the O-Line.
The Colts have a swing tackle of their own to re-sign in Jack Mewhort, but it’s unclear if the Colts have serious interest in bringing him back.
Giants Move Ereck Flowers To Right Tackle
The Giants confirmed their signing of left tackle Nate Solder to a four-year, $62MM deal, and in so doing, announced former first-round pick Ereck Flowers will move to right tackle.
The news doesn’t come as a complete surprise. Flowers had to play somewhere after all (unless New York intended to trade or release him), so the only question was whether he would shift to guard or right tackle. The former first-round pick was considered a guard prospect by many during the 2015 pre-draft process, but Flowers will stay at tackle, only on the right side.
“As soon as we announced the signing of Nate, [head coach] Pat [Shurmur] spoke with Ereck,” general manager Dave Gettleman said, per John Healy of the New York Daily News. “He called him on the phone to talk to him and said, ‘Listen, we’re going to move you to right, and at the end of the day, the five best offensive linemen play.’ That’s where they left it, and Ereck was fine on the phone.”
Although he’s only 23 years old, Flowers already has plenty of NFL experience, as he’s started 46 games for the Giants over the past three years. He’s never been effective, however: 2017 marked his best campaign to date, but that only resulted in Flowers grading as the league’s No. 54 tackle among 81 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
Contractually, Flowers’ position change doesn’t have any immediate effects. New York needs to decide on his 2019 fifth-year option by early May, but his move to right tackle won’t change anything. Fifth-year option values — like franchise tags — don’t have different values for tackles and interior linemen, let alone left and right tackles.
Contract Details: Lotulelei, Bradham, Lewis
Let’s take a look at the details from the latest contracts signed in the NFL:
- Star Lotulelei, DT (Bills): Five years, $50MM. $18.5MM guaranteed. $33.5MM over first three seasons (Twitter links via Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com).
- Nigel Bradham, LB (Eagles): Five years, $40MM. $14MM guaranteed. $5MM signing bonus. Eagles have team options for 2020-22 seasons (Twitter link via Sheil Kapadia of the Athletic).
- Dion Lewis, RB (Titans): Four years, $19.8MM. $4.25MM guaranteed. $2.25MM signing bonus. Max value of $22.3MM (Twitter link via Ben Volin of the Boston Globe).
- Kareem Martin, LB (Giants): Three years, $15MM. $7.25MM guaranteed. $3MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
- Patrick Omameh, G (Giants): Three years, $15MM. $5MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com).
- Keith Tandy, S (Buccaneers): Two years, $2.74MM. $600K guaranteed (Twitter link via Howard Balzer).
- Kenny Wiggins, OL (Lions): Two years, $5MM. $750K guaranteed. $750K signing bonus (story via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press).
- Kevin Huber, P (Bengals): Three years, $7.95MM. $1.55MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Wilson).