No matter what Vegas might tell you, Jadeveon Clowney is all but certainly not going to be donning Big Blue colors next season. Markus Golden may ultimately find his way back to New York. However, with the Giants pushing his hand with their latest tender, Golden may spitefully look for employment elsewhere.
That leaves the G-Men with a plethora of promising, yet young and fairly unproven talents on the edge of their defense.
However, there may be a logical, less-noteworthy answer to the Giants’ questionable pass-rush in the form of a former 1st-Round pick.
Taco Charlton, who was released by the Miami Dolphins on Thursday despite impressive production in 2019 under now-Giants’ defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, is looking for a new gig. Will Big Blue reunite the two in New York?
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Charlton Led Miami in Sacks Under Patrick Graham
Taco Charlton was drafted in the 1st-round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys in hopes that the former Michigan Wolverine standout would bolster a pass-rush in desperate need of a playmaker on the edge.
That clearly didn’t come to fruition, as Charlton lasted just over two seasons in Dallas. The defensive end started just seven games over his Cowboys career, accumulating a whopping four sacks over that span before Dallas opted to release Charlton two games into the 2019 season.
Charlton appeared to land on his feet in Miami. The former 1st-rounder was claimed by the Dolphins off of waivers and made his first appearance with the ‘Phins in Week 3 of 2019, recording two tackles and one sack.
Charlton would go on to lead the team in sacks this past season with 5 under the watchful eye of now-Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.
However, it wasn’t all positive for the Michigan man’s transition to the 305, as he was declared a healthy-scratch in four games in 2019, including three of the final four games to close out the season.
The lack of desire to get Charlton on the field clearly trickled over into the offseason, as the Dolphins ultimately opted to cut ties with him this week.
Are Charlton & Graham on Good Terms?
Many Miami fans have pointed toward’s Charlton’s influx of production pertaining to coverage sacks, rather than him showing a true ability to get to the quarterback. Still, it’s hard to deny four sacks in his first five games with the team.
With Charlton’s improved statistics, expected cheap price tag, and youth (25-years-old), he would appear to be a logical fit with the Giants.
The real question, however, is how does Graham feel about Charlton as a player. It’s almost certain that the coordinator had a hand in the d-end being deemed inactive for numerous games during his lone-season in Miami. This is certainly puzzling for a team desperate for a pass-rush, evident by the fact that they ranked dead last in football a season ago in sacks.
If Graham signs off on Charlton, it’s likely we could see New York kick the tires on the edge defender within the next couple of days. He may not be the all-in-all answer to Big Blue’s underwhelming pass rush, but he certainly wouldn’t hurt it. Especially if he can tap into the type of potential that made him such a lauded prospect coming out of college.
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Ex-Cowboys 1st-Rounder an Intriguing Fit With Giants Under Former Coordinator