Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora is using the day before the draft to send a message to the other 31 teams in the NFL.
Tom Rock of Newsday spoke to Umenyiora about what the future holds for him. Umenyiora admitted to some uncertainty about whether it is best for him to stay with the Giants, but then moved on to letting other teams know what they’d be getting if they were to make a trade to acquire him.
Umenyiora, who has fought with the Giants about renegotiating his contract for most of the last few years, told Rock that a team trading for him wouldn’t need to redo his contract. Umenyiora has complained about his backup status with the Giants and could feel like a starting role on another team would best set him up to hit free agency next year. This would be the optimal time for the Giants to trade Umenyiora, something he clearly knows, and making his willingness to play under his current deal -- a reasonable $3.975 million for this season -- is a good way to generate some interest.
It’s hardly guaranteed to work, however. While Jason La Canfora of the NFL Network thinks “things could get interesting” if someone offers a third-round pick, the Giants weren’t willing to part with Umenyiora for a second-round pick last summer. It’s a different time, obviously, and the Giants might feel like they’re tired of the constant drama that Umenyiora brings to the table, but he’s a valuable part of their defense and they probably aren’t feeling too much pressure to let him go.