Jets Urged to Sign Former $30 Million Playmaking Defender

Blake Martinez, Packers

Getty Former Green Bay Packers linebacker Blake Martinez screaming during an NFL game.

The New York Giants made the headlines this week for all the wrong reasons.

According to a variety of reports, Big Blue cut bait on linebacker Blake Martinez. Ari Meirov called the move “a bit of a surprise.”

Although a few other Giants’ sites were a bit more colorful in their description, “the Giants cut Blake Martinez. What in the f*** is happening.”

With a proven player shaking free so late in the process, some have begun to speculate where he could land.

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A Pairing That Makes a Ton of Sense

Martinez originally signed with the Giants back in 2020 on a juicy three-year deal worth over $30 million.

As he was in Green Bay with the Packers, the 28-year-old is just a rock-solid presence in the middle who racks up a ton of tackles:

  • Over 686 combined tackles
  • 22 pass deflections
  • 18 quarterback hits
  • 13 sacks

As a matter of fact, the former Stanford product was the NFL co-leader in tackles back in 2017.

Dan Duggan of The Athletic was surprised the Giants couldn’t trade him considering he was just making the veteran minimum.

Duggan said the release is a “shocker” but said that the new regime coming in just didn’t value Martinez in the same way as the previous one.

Although a regime that might give him a little more love is actually right down the road. The New York Jets could always use more depth and Martinez would certainly fit the bill.

At least that’s what Jets fans think who have been urging the team to add him since the news became public on social media.

Jarod Gray on Twitter named the Jets among the best landing spots for the talented linebacker.

Martinez has a lot of fans that would love to see him in a different shade of green at this stage of his career.


Time to Return the Favor

When the Jets had to create an initial 53-man roster, they had to make some tough cuts.

Perhaps the most excruciating of those decisions was letting go of defensive back Jason Pinnock. A lot of people inside the building thought he would be a future starter at safety, yet he slipped through the cracks.

Of course, the former Pittsburgh product wasn’t unemployed for long as the rival Giants scooped him up off of waivers.

It was a painful blow for a Jets team that was hoping to lure him back on the practice squad. Now they have a chance to return the favor by snagging away a proven player from the Giants’ scrap heap.

Martinez wasn’t cut because he is terrible, as a matter of fact, the move was “mutual” according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.

Martinez could either sign right onto the active roster and create some more competition in the linebacker room. Or Gang Green could just add him to the practice squad and hold him there as injury insurance on the second level of the defense.

Either way, this is a move that would be the ultimate win-win scenario. The Jets of course could benefit from adding a talented and proven player, but also throwing it in the Giants’ face would be a nice cherry on top of that pie.


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