The New York Giants made a big splash and filled a need on the roster when they signed linebacker Bobby Okereke earlier this week.
Following the best year of Okereke’s career, he was due for a payday in free agency and clearly general manager Joe Schoen saw the value in what he can bring to the table.
Okereke met with the media on Thursday for the first time as a Giant and talked about his desire to sign with the Giants.
“I worked with my agent, there were a couple of teams that were interested throughout the whole process. And I told my agent from day one, ‘I want to play in New York City.’ New York City’s been one of my favorite cities, growing up, my whole life. And this franchise is on the rise,” Okereke said.
“This was a team I had my eye on. There was a lot of mutual interest. When things lined up, just worked with my agent. I told him once we had the right deal, I was ready to pull the trigger. So, this honestly is the perfect situation for me.”
Okereke also said he looks forward to playing on the same defense with players like Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams.
“I had other offers. We were just working on the best offer and the best situation. This was unique because it was a great offer and a great team fit,” Okereke said. “Obviously, this defense is just really good. I got two great guys playing in front of me (Dexter Lawrence II and Leonard Williams). Two good guys on the edge (Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari).
“Really, the entire defense is doing well. This offense is playing really well and playing really well towards this past year, end of the season. So, just excited to be part of the rise.”
Okereke knows that by playing in Wink Martindale’s defensive system he will be asked to blitz more than he has in any year of his career. However, the Giants’ new linebacker made it clear, he is willing to play wherever they need him.
The Giants’ latest addition had over 150 total tackles last year and they are hoping what they saw in Week 17 when they played the Colts is a sign of what’s to come by adding Okereke to their defense.
