The Giants signed wide receiver Hakeem Nicks for a second tour of duty with the team earlier this season and they went back to the recycling bin this week to find some help for their defense.
Agent Mike McCartney announced that his client Barry Cofield has signed with the Giants. The defensive tackle spent the first five years of his career with the Giants after they selected him the fourth round of the 2006 draft.
Cofield jumped to Washington as a free agent in 2011 and spent four years there before getting released this offseason. Cofield dealt with an ankle injury in 2014 and then had hip surgery after the season, which dampened interest in a player who has been productive in both of his NFL stops. Cullen Jenkins, Markus Kuhn, Jay Bromley and Montori Hughes are the other defensive tackles on the roster.
The Giants haven’t announced the move, but they did open a roster spot Wednesday by announcing the release of safety Brandon Meriweather. Meriweather started the first 11 games of the season after signing with the team in August as they dealt with a slew of injuries in the secondary.
He didn’t play the last two weeks because of a knee injury, although there’s no injury designation attached to his departure. Craig Dahl and Landon Collins have started at safety with Meriweather out of the lineup.
