EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The
+New York Giants secondary has gotten a lot stronger in the past couple of days.
A year after missing the playoffs for the second straight season, the Giants continued to be a player in free agency, signing cornerback
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Had a great season with
+BRONCOS CR3W Good luck DRC!
+FOX Sports 1 -
+NFL Insider Mike Garafolo reports the deal is for five years, $35 million.
The deal comes just a day after the Giants confirmed the signing of former
+Seattle Seahawks cornerback
Walter Thurmond and +Kansas City safety
Quintin Demps.
Rodgers-Cromartie and
Prince Amukamara are probably penciled in as the starters at cornerback, with Thurmond,
Jayron Hosley and
Trumaine McBride backing them up. The safety spots will be just as strong with
Antrel Rolle,
Will Hill, Demps, and
Stevie Brown on the roster.
Rodgers-Cromartie excelled as maybe the top CB in the NFL last season when you look at completion percentage allowed and the WR he went up against.
DRC won Defensive Player of the Week during the season.
The Giants have been very active since free agency started last week. They signed running back
Rashad Jennings, guard
Geoff Schwartz, re-signed free agent middle linebacker
Jon Beason and added former
+Baltimore Ravens linebacker
Jameel McClain. They also re-signed running back
Peyton Hillis, placekicker
Josh Brown, Stevie Brown, McBride and fullback
Henry Hynoski.
"The main thing, bringing in guys from
Kansas City,
Seattle, you can see what they're doing, trying to bring guys that are going to come in and lead by example," said Rodgers-Cromartie, who started in the Super Bowl along with Thurmond. "That's always a plus."
A 2008 first round-draft choice and 2009 Pro Bowler, Rodgers-Cromartie is entering his seventh NFL season. He has also been with
+Arizona Cardinals and
+Philadelphia Eagles, playing with Rolle while with the
Cardinals.
"He brought me in, took me under his wing and took care of me," Rodgers-Cromartie, said of Rolle, "So to be reunited with him is just a blessing. I know the things that he's done in his career and the man he's become. That's going to be a help for me."
Rodgers-Cromartie has played in 92 regular-season games with 75 starts and has started all nine postseason games in which he played. His career totals include 239 tackles (205 solo) and 19 interceptions.
Rodgers-Cromartie joined the
+Denver Broncos last season as a free agent and played in 15 regular-season games with 13 starts at right cornerback. He finished the season with 31 tackles (25 solo), a team-high 15 passes defensed, and tied for the Broncos lead with three interceptions, including one of an
Eli Manning pass late in the second quarter in
Denver's victory over the Giants at the Meadowlands on Sept. 15.