Brian Burns has posted at least 7.5 sacks in each of his five NFL seasons, but that didn’t land him a long-term deal with the Panthers before he was set for free agency this offseason.
The Panthers used a franchise tag on Burns instead and then traded him to the Giants for draft picks in March. The Giants gave Burns the deal he was looking for in Carolina and they’d likely be happy if he continued to produce at the same level as he has to this point in his career, but Burns believes that they will be getting even more bang for their buck over the life of the pact.
“I really don’t feel like I tapped into my ceiling. I feel like I’m just scratching the surface,” Burns said to Jonathan Jones of CBSSports.com. “I feel like I’m really entering my prime, honestly. I feel like there’s so much more I can get better at. There’s so much more I can improve on. Those numbers are gonna skyrocket once I do.”
The Giants are celebrating their 100th season this year and the best moments in their history have come with overwhelming defensive pressure leading the way. Teaming Burns with Kayvon Thibodeaux and Dexter Lawrence forms a defensive core they hope will provide that kind of threat to opposing offenses.