The New York Giants traded for Carolina Panthers edge rusher Brian Burns in one of the NFL’s biggest player moves of the offseason.
The Giants sent second- and fifth-round selections to the Panthers in exchange for Burns and a fifth-rounder and then inked Burns to a lucrative, five-year extension worth $141 million of which $87.5 million is guaranteed.
Marcus Mosher of The 33rd Team rates the move one of the five best of 2024, stating the team is finally getting back to their winning formulas of the past, which centered around the pass rush.
The Giants were already set up well with Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Thibodeaux, but the trade for Brian Burns gave them a bonafide No. 1 edge rusher who can win at an absurd rate. He turned 26 in April but already has 46 sacks and 95 quarterback hits. His speed and bend around the edge are among the best in the NFL, and now he’ll play on a strong defensive line that will almost guarantee that he’ll see fewer double teams than ever.
As the Giants continue to search for their next franchise quarterback, their defensive line alone should keep them in games. They have multiple All-Pro-caliber players on the unit, and none of them are older than 26. The Giants have won two Super Bowls in this century, and both were due to their pass rush. Getting back to that formula is a smart idea for the franchise.
With bookends in Burns and Thibodeaux and pressure up the middle from Lawrence, the Giants should have a solid pass rush from end to end.
Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns go through a drill at Giants practice pic.twitter.com/ujdr0bc4oA
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) May 23, 2024
Burns is excited to be part of a unit that has such great potential. He mentioned his prior relationship with Thibodeaux and marveled at the size of Lawrence, who he hopes to create something special with.
“If I got Dex with me… let me not even spill the beans. Just know if I got Dex with me, I got a plan,” he said.
We’ll see.
