In 2008, Keith Rivers was rated as the best linebacker in the NFL Draft and came off the board that way as the first linebacker selected, going to the Bengals with the ninth overall pick. He never developed the way the Bengals envisioned, and the Giants are now hoping they can uncover the potential that Rivers hasn’t yet turned into production.
The Giants on Thursday put the finishing touches on a trade for Rivers, who will arrive in exchange for an undisclosed pick in the upcoming draft. The finalized deal is expected to be announced today. Rivers missed the entire 2011 season following surgery to repair a fractured wrist.
The fifth-rounder surrendered by the Giants is the 167th overall selection — practically a sixth-round pick. That’s not much of a price to pay as compensation to get Rivers, especially considering the Giants have two fourth-round picks.
In so many ways this deal makes sense. Rivers is young (turns 26 on May 5) and his value is not high. Rivers was a huge prospect who did not live up to expectations in Cincinnati. In four years (three seasons played), he started 33 games and had 186 tackles, two sacks and two interceptions.
Rivers plays exclusively on the weak side, a spot where the Giants seemingly are set with Michael Boley and Jacquian Williams. Of course, a move could be in the works to move Boley to middle linebacker.
The Giants seem to have little or no interest in re-signing Chase Blackburn or Jonathan Goff — both were offered easy-to-refuse minimum-salary deals — and the team does not appear ready to hand the middle linebacker job to second-year players Mark Herzlich or Greg Jones.
If Rivers pans out, perhaps he could play in the middle.
Rivers has had injury problems dating back to USC and missed nine games in his rookie year with a broken jaw. Still, the 6-foot-2, 242-pound Rivers does have speed at a position the Giants want to upgrade. He’s scheduled to make $2.16 million this season and his contract for 2013 is voidable, so the Giants would be getting a player essentially on a one-year, make-good deal.
Also yesterday, the Giants veteran offensive lineman Sean Locklear and cornerback Antwaun Molden.
Locklear spent last season with the Redskins. Molden played for the Patriots last season and had four tackles against the Giants in Super Bowl XLVI.
* TE Jake Ballard, in addition to tearing the ACL in his left knee during Super Bowl XLVI, also suffered cartilage damage that required microfracture surgery. That serious procedure — stem cells were removed from his hip and inserted into his knee to help regenerate cartilage — was first reported on NorthJersey.com.