The New York Giants have signed nose tackle Justin Ellis — adding a veteran presence to the G-men’s defensive front.
The 350-pound lineman most recently played 3 seasons for the Baltimore Ravens, after spending the first 5 years of his career with the then-Oakland Raiders. Now, he comes to MetLife Stadium on a 1-year contract, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport.
Coming to the Giants allows Ellis to rejoin-forces with defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale, who served in the same position with the Ravens, when Ellis was a member of the team.
Ellis’ presence in the Giants locker room will help mitigate the loss of nose tackle Austin Johnson, who signed in free agency last week with the Los Angeles Chargers. Johnson had recorded 72 tackles including 6 tackles-for-a-loss last season.
For more news on Justin Ellis and the Giants, go to amNY.com
As a whole, the Giants have struggled on defense in recent years, including last season when they gave up 416 points and 6,032 yards to opposing offenses, which is good for 10th and 12th worst in the NFL respectively.
Ellis will be a major asset in improving those numbers, especially against opposing running backs, as the Giants boasted a lackluster 4.5 yards-per-attempt on the ground last year.
Throughout his 8 year career, the 31-year-old has averaged 20 tackles per-season.
