Giants Trade for Former Panthers DE Burns

The New York Giants are bolstering their defense and acquiring Brian Burns from the Carolina Panthers, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported on Monday.

The Giants did not waste any time at all locking up Burns with a fat new contract: a five-year deal worth a maximum of $150 million with $87.5 million guaranteed, according to Rapoport and Garafolo. Burns will earn $76 million fully guaranteed when he inks his new deal, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported.

The Panthers, who used their franchise tag on Burns last week, will get back second- and fifth-round selections (Nos. 39 and 141 overall, respectively) in the trade, which cannot be set in stone until the start of the league year on Wednesday. The trade relieves $24 million in cap room for the Panthers, per Over the Cap.

The Giants wanted to add to their pass rush, needing a bookend to pair with Kayvon Thibodeaux, who had a coming out party, getting home to the quarterback with 11.5 sacks in 2023 while playing in all 17 games. But with Azeez Ojulari injured for the majority of last season, the Giants totaled only 34 sacks, which were the fifth-fewest in all of football.

The Panthers were one of the teams below them on that list with 27 sacks, and they ranked 29th in points allowed, although Burns was the least of their problems.

Burns, who turns 26 years old next month, was on the trading block a season ago, for a higher price tag, however, the Panthers turned down offers for him. His production dropped off minimally but Burns still led the team in sacks (eight) for a second consecutive year, adding 18 quarterback hits, 16 tackles for loss, two passes defensed and a forced fumble.

The Panthers resisted giving Burns long-term security. He played last season on the fifth-year option salary, not taking part in a few preseason practices to try to gain leverage in talks of a new deal, but it never materialized.

The 16th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft has 46 sacks, 95 quarterback hits, 59 tackles for loss, eight forced fumbles and two recoveries (one touchdown return) in 80 career games 67 of them starts. He has also been durable, never missing more than one contest in each of his five NFL seasons.

The Giants are set to lose free-agent running back Saquon Barkley to the rival Eagles. But they quickly moved on, no use crying over spilled milk, to reach an agreement with running back Devin Singletary and now are slated to add a crucial piece to their defense in Burns.