Former Cardinals defensive tackle Olsen Pierre signs with Giants

Another defensive player has left the Arizona Cardinals in free agency, as defensive tackle Olsen Pierre officially signed with the New York Giants Friday afternoon.

Pierre went undrafted out of Miami in 2015, and spent the last two seasons with the Cardinals after being cut by the Bears. He played in 24 games (including eight starts) for the team over that span and recorded 5.5 sacks, 42 total tackles and 10 tackles for loss.

Pierre was a part of the Cardinals’ defensive line rotation in 2018, but his season was cut short due to a knee injury suffered in early December. He played in 10 games, started one, and recorded 12 tackles and one tackle for loss.

Pierre is the third player to reunite with former Cardinals and current Giants defensive coordinator James Bettcher this offseason, with Antoine Bethea and Markus Golden being the other two. The Giants also have former Cardinal Kareem Martin on the roster, who left with Bettcher before the 2018 season.

Pierre’s 5.5 sack season in 2017, his first year in the league, came under Bettcher, who held the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator position from 2015-17. He will now look to recapture that form with the coach who helped him get there in the first place.

The Cardinals still look set at the defensive tackle position even with Pierre’s departure, though, as starters Corey Peters and Robert Nkemdiche are both returning to the team in 2019. Another potential option for that position is Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, who has been mentioned as a possibility for the Cardinals at the top of this year’s draft.