Cullen Jenkins left the Giants' facility last week and visited three other NFL teams on his free-agency tour. He'll return to the Giants Monday to sign a contract.
The 32-year-old defensive tackle, who won a Super Bowl with thePackers and played the last two years with the Eagles, will become the newest Giant in their latest attempt to stop the rushing yards that gouged them up the middle in 2012.
After he visited the 49ers, Raiders and Seahawks during the week, Jenkins and the Giants agreed to the terms of his deal Sunday night . It is a three-year contract worth $8 million with a $2-million signing bonus and a little more than another $1 million guaranteed, according to a source. The Giants are expected to officially announce the deal later Monday after Jenkins signs.
The free-agency period officially begins Tuesday, but because the Eagles released Jenkins late last month, he was able to negotiate with and sign with any team. His first stop was with the Giants, but he clearly wanted to get a feel for other options before committing.
The Giants released Chris Canty at the start of this offseason, creating a need for a starting defensive tackle alongside Linval Joseph. They signed 12-year veteran Shaun Rogers, but he is expected to be a role player. Marvin Austin has yet to show the potential that made him a second-round pick in 2010. Markus Kuhn played well last year but is coming off ACL surgery.
Last week, Tom Coughlin said the Giants' biggest need heading into free agency was finding a way to stop the run. The Giants allowed 129.1 rushing yards per game, 25th in the NFL, and gave up an average of 161.2 yards in their seven losses of 2012. The Giants clearly hope the 6-2, 306-pound Jenkins will be big enough to make those numbers a little smaller.
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