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Giants News | New York Giants – Giants.com

Connor Barwin adds leadership and experience

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The Giants today welcomed their full squad to training camp and added production, experience and leadership to their roster when they signed 10-year veteran linebacker Connor Barwin.

A 6-4, 255-pounder, Barwin has played in 127 regular-season games with 109 starts for Houston, Philadelphia and the Los Angeles Rams. He has also started all six postseason games in which he's played. Barwin was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2014.

Barwin's career totals include 449 tackles (227 solo), 55.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, 42 passes defensed, and one interception. His career sack total is the highest among current Giants players, surpassing Olivier Vernon's 44.0. Barwin played in nine games vs. the Giants and had 5.0 sacks, including three of Eli Manning on Oct. 12, 2014 in Philadelphia.

In the postseason, Barwin has 23 tackles (15 solo) and a half-sack.

Barwin is the second linebacker to join the Giants after playing last season for the Rams; inside backer Alec Ogletree was acquired in a trade on March 14.

To create room on the roster, the Giants waived tight end Kyle Carter.

Barwin played one season for the Rams, with whom he signed as a free agent on March 16, 2017. He started 13 of the 14 regular season games in which he played and was third on the team with 5.0 sacks, including one against the Giants on Nov. 5. Overall, he had 34 tackles (26 solo) and a fumble recovery. Barwin helped the Rams win the NFC West title and earn their first postseason berth since 2004. In an NFC Wild Card loss to Atlanta, he had three tackles (two solo) and a half-sack.

Prior to his year in Los Angeles, Barwin played four seasons for the Giants' NFC East rival Eagles. During the first three of those seasons, Giants coach Pat Shurmur was the Eagles' offensive coordinator. He joined the team as a free agent in 2013 and started every game during his tenure in Philadelphia – including one in the postseason - extending his streak to six consecutive seasons in which he did not miss a game. In his 2014 Pro Bowl season, he led the NFC and ranked fourth in the NFL with a career-high 14.5 sacks, the most ever by an Eagles linebacker, and finished with a career-best 83 tackles (52 solo). Barwin was the NFC Defensive Player of the Month in November 2014 when he had 6.5 sacks and 24 tackles in five games.

"Connor and I were together in Philadelphia," Shurmur said. "Veteran player, edge player, so he could play the outside linebacker position, he could be involved in the pass rush when we get to our four-man rush. Very veteran guy and I think if you don't know him, you'll quickly get to see that he's a true pro and we were fortunate he was available, and we felt like it was a smart move to add him to our roster."

Barwin entered the NFL has as second-round draft choice of the Houston Texans (46th overall) in 2009, from the University of Cincinnati. As a rookie, he played in all 16 games and had 4.5 sacks. The following year, Barwin dislocated his ankle in the season opener and was placed on injured reserve. That 2010 season is the only one in his career in which Barwin played fewer than 14 games. Beginning with the season opener in 2011, Barwin started 112 consecutive regular-season and postseason games before missing two games last December following forearm surgery.

In 2011, Barwin started all 16 games for the first time and had 47 tackles, including 11.5 sacks, the second-highest total of his career.

During his collegiate career, Barwin played in 51 games with 16 starts (14 at defensive end, one at tight end and one at halfback). He shifted to the defensive line as a senior and produced 66 tackles with 12.0 sacks, 18 tackles for loss and a league-high 20 quarterback pressures to earn first-team All-Big East honors.

Barwin was a standout at University of Detroit Jesuit High School, where he was inducted into the school's inaugural Hall of Fame class in 2014.

Rookie and select veterans reported for Rookie Training Camp and took to the practice field Monday

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