Giants Acquire LB Alec Ogletree in Trade With Los Angeles Rams

The New York Giants have acquired linebacker Alec Ogletree and a 2019 seventh round draft pick from the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for their 2018 fourth and sixth round draft picks. The fourth round pick going to Los Angeles is the Giants’ compensatory pick, leaving them with one pick remaining in that round. Adam Schefter of ESPN was first to break the news.

The trade will not be official until the start of the new league year on March 14.

What Ogletree Brings to New York

The depth at linebacker has been an issue for the Giants in recent memory. Devon Kennard and Jonathan Casillas are free agents, leaving B.J. Goodson as New York’s only linebacker. Now, they bring in Ogletree, who will fit the new 3-4 defensive scheme in New York as an inside linebacker.

Just this past season, Ogletree played in all but one game, where he posted 95 total tackles, ten passes defended, one forced fumble, and one interception returned for a touchdown. When looking at his statistics, Ogletree has four seasons of recording 90+ tackles in his five year career.  Ogletree has also four seasons of ten-plus passes defended. The lone year he failed to do both was in 2015, where he suffered a broken fibula, limiting him to four games.

Ogletree signed a four-year, $42.75 million contract last season. Now, the trade frees Los Angeles of his $10 million cap hit ($7 million roster bonus, $3 million base salary), which the Giants will now take on. Ogletree will rejoin former teammate Janoris Jenkins in New York.

With a stout defensive line and secondary, the one glaring hole for New York was at linebacker. Now, Ogletree can help bolster the middle of the field as a defensive signal caller, something that has hindered the Giants for the past few seasons.