A member of the Giants’ defensive front seven got a contract extension, but it wasn’t Osi Umenyiora.
The Giants have instead chosen to extend Mathias Kiwanuka, who has moved between defensive end and linebacker during his career with the team. Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News reports that it is a three-year deal that runs through the 2015 season. Kiwanuka’s now set to make $2.95 million in 2013, $4.375 million in 2014 and $4.775 million in 2015. No word on how much of the money is guaranteed and also no word on if his 2012 salary, which was cut from $4 million to $950,000, was converted into a bonus.
Kiwanuka rebounded well from a herniated disk that ruined his 2010 season to start 15 games at linebacker for the Giants in 2011. He figures to stay at linebacker again in 2012, unless there’s an opening caused by a trade of Umenyiora. It’s been bandied about in the weeks leading up to the draft with Umenyiora himself putting out a plea to teams interested in his services this week.
Given how long Umenyiora has wanted a new contract from the Giants, you might wonder how this Kiwanuka news would sit with him. Umenyiora professed no problem with the deal when Vacchiano spoke to him.
“He deserves it for sure with all he has been through,” Umenyiora said. “Don’t really know what that means for me, but I’m sure we will find out soon. The fact they took care of him first is OK with me. I’m not shocked by that at all.”
Umenyiora probably wouldn’t have signed the deal that Kiwanuka signed, so there’s not much different about the situation. Per Vacchiano, that could change if the Giants draft a defensive end in the second round with Clemson’s Andre Branch believed to be on their radar.