The New York Giants have apparently made their first move of NFL free agency, with a report that they are signing 13-year veteran safety Antoine Bethea to a two-year deal. Bethe turns 35 in July. He spent eight years with the Indianapolis Colts, three with the San Francisco 49ers and the last two with the Arizona Cardinals. Current Giants defensive coordinator James Bettcher crossed paths with Bethea while both were with Arizona in 2017. Antoine Bethea played FS under Giants DC James Bettcher back in 2017 when he was the DC of the Arizona Cardinals. Bethea had a career resurgence in that season finishing the year as a Top 10 Safety in our grading system.#GiantsPride https://t.co/aZxFfcbY8v — PFF NY Giants (@PFF_Giants) March 12, 2019 Bethea has been an iron man. Since the 2008 season he has missed only nine games — all in the 2015 season. He has played both strong and free safety. Bethea played 1,111 snaps for the Cardinals in 2018. He had 121 tackles, the second-highest total of his career. He also had three sacks, but did not have an interception. He had five interceptions in 2017. He played 335 (30.1 percent) at free safety, 159 (14.3 percent) in the slot and 436 (39.2 percent) in the box. The Giants, of course, are losing Landon Collins to the Washington Redskins and trying to upgrade free safety, where Curtis Riley struggled last season.<doc-sep>Antoine Bethea is the newest member of the New York Giants secondary. According to NFL Network's Reggie Wayne, the Giants are signing the three-time Pro Bowl safety to a two-year contract. The details have not yet emerged from the deal. Bethea is the first unrestricted free agent the Giants have signed from another NFL team during the 2019 free agency period. While Bethea is 34 years old, he has not seen his level of production drop significantly. Bethea tallied a career-best 122 tackles during the 2018 season. He also racked up a career-best 3.0 sacks. Bethea played 99.6 percent of the team's defensive snaps as a 16-game starter on the Cardinals defense in 2018. The 13-year veteran will provide leadership in the Giants secondary at the safety position and he will do his part to put an end to bad angles and missed tackles at the third level of the defense -- all too common with 2018 starting safety Curtis Riley. Bethea is a versatile defensive back who has played both free safety and strong safety throughout his career. Free agency is days away. The Giants are locked in on the "KC plan" to find Eli's successor via the draft. It's all about to go down. Stay up to date with everything Giants by taking a second to sign up for our FREE Giants newsletter! In 2017, he played under Giants current defensive coordinator James Bettcher during a two-year stint with the Arizona Cardinals. Bethea will be well-versed in the Giants defensive scheme at the start of training camp and he will not endure a steep learning curve in a scheme he is already familiar with. During the 2017 season in Bettcher's scheme, Bethea was one of the 10 best safeties in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. Bethea finished with the No. 9 overall safety grade in 2017, per PFF. That was just one full season ago. Bethea played in a completely different scheme during the 2018 season when the Cardinals changed over their coaching staff. Giants fans may remember Bethea from a couple plays where he showed off his underrated range against the Giants during the 2017 season. One of Engram's better single move releases. Can see the play speed reading the QB he is moving by the time QB hits the top of his drop. Both ARI S's last year(Bethea and Boston) were pretty aggressive in that regard. #GiantsPride pic.twitter.com/8K6WIUrPx4 — Nick Turchyn (@Tmanic21) March 12, 2019 The Giants wish they could have this one back, too. The 2nd: just Wow. Edge Martin (yup that Martin) smokes Flowers(eek), and I think this is a Burst/Slide Corner route from Lewis. Manning throws it up to capped space and easy catch for Bethea... think every Big Blue player wants this one back #GiantsPride pic.twitter.com/J8koYROPVE — Nick Turchyn (@Tmanic21) March 12, 2019 Stay tuned for more details.<doc-sep>The New York Giants finally entered the free agent fray on Wednesday by agreeing on a two-year deal with veteran safety Antoine Bethea. Bethea, who turns 35 in July, is entering his 14th season. Made 16 starts and played 99.6% of the snaps for the Cardinals last year. Was with Bettcher in Arizona in 2017. Had five picks that year, including two of Eli in Week 16 matchup https://t.co/14F80HrFT6 — Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) March 12, 2019 Bethea, a 14-year veteran, was released by the Arizona Cardinals last week. He started all 16 games in 2018 leading the Cards with 133 tackles. He became expendable when D.J. Swearinger was claimed at the end of the season off waivers and Budda Baker moved back to being a full-time safety. Bethea began his career with the Indianapolis Colts in 2006 as a sixth-round pick out of Howard. In 2014, he signed a four-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers as a free agent. In 2017, he was inked to a three-year deal by Arizona. Bethea has been named to the Pro Bowl three times, most recently in 2014. The Giants are in need of safety depth/help after the departure of Pro Bowler Landon Collins in free agency to Washington this week. Bethea adds a veteran presence with knowledge of the system to a secondary that will likely contain several rookies and unproven players.<doc-sep>
The Giants were in need of a safety even before they declined to apply the franchise tag to Landon Collins and watched him sign a megadeal with the rival Redskins. The need for two safeties took the Giants to an unusual place, as on Tuesday they agreed to terms with Antoine Bethea, an accomplished player who is 34 years old. Set to enter his 14th NFL season, Bethea did start all 16 games for the Cardinals in 2018, but he is certainly at an advanced age for a defensive back. He turns 35 in July and played in Arizona in 2017 for James Bettcher, currently the Giants defensive coordinator. Bethea that season had a career-high five interceptions, and no doubt that resonated when it came time to find a stopgap player at a position of need. The Giants signed Bethea to a two-year contract. He is a three-time Pro Bowler, most recently in 2014, and is expected to move immediately into a starting role with his fourth NFL team. According to Pro Football Focus, Bethea was the most efficient pass-rushing safety in the league last season, with 12 total pressures on 42 pass-rush snaps. Bethea as a rookie won a Super Bowl with the Colts following the 2006 season, starting 14 games as a teammate of Peyton Manning. Now, 13 years later, he joins a team with Eli Manning, 38, at quarterback. Bethea can play strong safety and free safety, and his durability is impressive. He has appeared in 193 regular-season games (184 starts) and played in all 16 games in a season nine times in 13 years. He went seven consecutive seasons without missing a start. Bethea spent the first eight years of his NFL career with the Colts, then three years with the 49ers and the past two years with the Cardinals, rarely coming off the field last season. He was released last week by Arizona. This is not exactly a move to build a defense around. Collins is 25 years old and is a player to secure for the present and future, but the Giants did not value him as a star safety the way the Redskins did. Bethea will likely compete for a starting job on a Giants defense in need of help in many areas. In what seems to be an annual rite of late winter, the Giants will also bring back Zak DeOssie, their 34-year old long-snapper, on a one-year deal. DeOssie arrived in 2007 and has two Super Bowl rings, appearing in 188 games in his 12-year career.