The Giants couldn’t wait until the end of the first round of Thursday night’s NFL Draft to add a player. They signed Shaun Rogers, a veteran defensive end to add depth to their line.
Rogers, 33, is a 12-year NFL veteran who has played for the Lions, Browns and most recently for the Saints. He played in all 18 games for the Saints last season, starting four games and registering 22 tackles. He’s a huge (6-foot-4, 350-pound) man and a three-time Pro Bowl player, but he has not performed at that level in recent years.
With the Giants, he joins a defensive front that includes starters Chris Canty and Linval Joseph in the middle. Rogers could be seen as a replacement for another veteran defensive tackle, Rocky Bernard, who was not re-signed. The line also includes ends Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, who wants a new contract, and Jason Pierre-Paul.
“I’m kind of honored and I appreciated them holding me in a regard enough to put me in along those guys,” Rogers said. “Those guys are most definitely top-notch pass rushers, defensive linemen right now, especially in their prime. I’m just happy to be a part of that group, those guys are going to help me out and hopefully I can help them out.
“Hopefully, we can be another Super Bowl champion. You get an opportunity to join an organization of this caliber with lofty goals and a great track record, you go ahead and do that. Hopefully, I can bring some of my experience over the past few years and just fit in and play a part.”
Rogers has played in 145 regular-season games, starting 128. He’s mostly a run-stopper but does have 35¹/₂ career sacks. He also has one career interception, returned 66 yards for a touchdown in 2007 while playing for the Lions. He has blocked 14 field goals and was an NFC Pro Bowl starter in 2004 and 2005 and a reserve for the AFC squad in 2008. Rogers was a second-round draft pick of the Lions in 2001 out of Texas.
“When you’re sitting out there, you always have that in the back of your head being an 11-year veteran; maybe this is the time, is it not the time. How I am feeling, how am I transitioning this offseason?” he said. “There are a lot of variables that play into that whole card. But there was still some interest, so I figured as long as they’re still interested I have something to offer.
“I still most definitely feel that I can bring something to the table. I might not be exactly like I was in ’06, but I still have some tricks and I still have some good push in me.”