A 6-3, 333-pounder, Watson was a free agent after playing his first five NFL seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. He is the second former Cardinal signed by the Giants in as many days; they added tight end Ben Patrick yesterday.

Watson has played in 62 regular season games with 21 starts and in six postseason games with one start (Super Bowl XLIII vs. Pittsburgh). He has been credited with 83 tackles (38 solo), 2.0 sacks, two passes defensed and two forced fumbles.

In 2010, Watson played in seven games for the Cardinals and had seven solo tackles. He played all 16 games (all starts) for the only time in his career in 2007, when he set a personal best with 39 tackles.

Watson was a fourth-round draft choice, the 107th overall selection, by the Cardinals in 2006.

Watson finished his collegiate career at Michigan with 92 tackles, 14.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage, and five sacks. He was a consensus All-Big Ten Conference first-team choice as a senior in 2005.

Watson, 27, was an all-state two-way tackle at Southfield High School in Michigan. He was born on Sept. 24, 1983.