New York Giants Agree to Terms With LB Kawika Mitchell: Though not officially announced, various media sources are reporting that the Giants have agreed to terms with unrestricted free agent linebacker Kawika Mitchell (Kansas City Chiefs). The contract is said to be a 1-year, $1 million deal. Newsday and The New York Post are reporting that the contract includes a $750,000 base salary in 2007 plus a $250,000 signing bonus. The Star-Ledger and The Daily News are reporting that the Giants will officially announce the signing today.
However, contrary to some media reports from yesterday, it appears that Mitchell did not visit the Giants on Monday and will do so today. Newsday says he is arriving today to meet with coaches and take a physical. 1050 ESPN Radio is reporting that no agreement has yet been reached. Other sources, such as The Bergen Record and The New York Post, are reporting that Mitchell is arriving to finalize a deal.
If Mitchell does officially sign, he will be the first free agent from another team that the Giants have signed this offseason.
Mitchell played middle linebacker for the Chiefs, but most likely be moved to strongside or weakside linebacker on the Giants.
Texans Officially Match Offer Sheet for FB Vonta Leach: As expected, the Houston Texans have matched the Giants’ offer sheet for restricted free agent fullback Vonta Leach. By doing so, Leach has officially re-signed with the Texans and is off the free agent market. The Giants’ offer sheet was a 4-year, approximately $7.2-8.3 million deal that included $1.6 million in guaranteed money.
Giants to Face Cowboys in Season Opener: The Giants’ 2007 regular-season opener will be against the Cowboys in Dallas on September 9th. The game will be televised on Sunday night at 8:15PM by NBC. The entire schedule, with specific times and dates, will be announced in April.
New York Giants Awarded Extra 7th Round Draft Pick: According to The Journal News and The Bergen Record, the NFL has awarded the Giants an extra 7th round compensatory pick in the upcoming 2007 NFL Draft. The compensatory pick will be the 40th in the seventh round and 250th overall. Compensatory picks are awarded to teams that suffer net free agent losses the preceding year base on a complicated and somewhat non-transparent formula.