Connor Barwin Agrees to Contract with Giants After 1 Season with Rams

The New York Giants have agreed to a deal with free-agent linebacker Connor Barwin, as the player announced on his personal Twitter account Monday:

The 31-year-old spent the past season with the Los Angeles Rams, starting 13 of the 14 games he played. Prior to 2017, Barwin spent four years each with the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans.

At his best, Barwin was a feared pass-rusher whose 14.5 sacks in 2014 earned him his lone Pro Bowl selection. He hasn't been quite as successful in recent years, but he still earned five sacks last season, a mark he has equaled or exceeded for the fifth straight year.

This makes him a valuable addition for the Giants, a team that ranked third-worst in the NFL with just 27 sacks last year. New York also traded away Jason Pierre-Paul and hasn't done much to replace his production on the defensive front.

What makes this move an interesting one, however, is the fact Barwin said he was likely only going to a contender.

"We've had interest from a number of teams all offseason," the veteran said earlier this month, per SiriusXM NFL Radio. "The offers I have, I think I'll make my decision before camp starts. I'm not going to go somewhere that I don't think can win a Super Bowl."

Despite other apparent offers, Barwin chose a team that finished last season with a 3-13 record.

While the path to playing time with the Giants is clear, the linebacker must also have plenty of faith in the team's ability to turn things around in 2018.