For a pass rusher, getting from Point A to Point B is an essential skill and a necessary trait. The Giants expect Brian Burns to make a beeline to the opposing quarterback, repeatedly. That is why they traded for him and why they made him one of the NFL’s highest-paid players at his position.
The Giants also expect Burns will get where he needs to go a whole lot more smoothly than a recent excursion of his that was far too circuitous.
Burns is from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., remained in-state to play at Florida State and spent the past five years in Charlotte, N.C. He now lives in Bergen County, N.J., and he does not hesitate when asked about his biggest adjustment to his new environs.
“Traffic,’’ Burns said. “Traffic and, yeah, traffic.’’
Yes, he has a nightmare story about his new life on new roads.
He was driving from his new home in Bergen County into Manhattan, via the Lincoln Tunnel.
“I guess I missed the turn or something,’’ he said.
Guess so. Burns drove through the tunnel, inadvertently followed a sign that sent him back through the tunnel, and then he had to go back through the tunnel to get where he intended to go in the first place.
“That pissed me off,’’ he said. “That was some bull. I was stuck.’’
What he spewed in his car during this one-hour odyssey was not suitable for family consumption.
“I had some [choice words] for myself,’’ Burns said. “It was one of those feelings, you can’t blame anybody but yourself.’’
Navigating around the field as a new and vital member of the Giants’ defense figures to be more natural and less aggravating for Burns.
Burns on defense and rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers on offense are the two marquee additions general manager Joe Schoen added to a roster in need of impact players.
The Giants in mid-March acquired Burns from the Panthers, and at the same time negotiated and got his signature on a five-year, $141 million contract.
That Burns is just 26 and has been undeniably durable in his time in the league makes the risk/reward factor of this major transaction not much risk at all.
Burns in five years has reached double-digits in sacks only once, with 12.5 in 2022. He had eight in 16 games in 2023. This needs some fleshing out.
There is saying around defenses that rushing the passer is earned — a byproduct of forcing the opponent into predictable throwing situations.
Burns enjoyed precious little of this with the Panthers in 2023 because, well, he is one player and almost everything around him was in disrepair.
This does not seem possible but it is true: Burns did not take one snap in the fourth quarter last season with his team in the lead.
The Panthers won just two games, the victories (15-13 over the Texans, 9-7 over the Falcons) coming on Eddie Pineiro field goals as time expired. Not one snap with a lead down the stretch of any game.
The Giants need to remedy this for Burns.
They have one of the NFL’s best interior defensive linemen, Dexter Lawrence, pushing the pocket. They have Kayvon Thibodeaux, off a 12.5-sack season and yearning for greatness and a new contract, on one side. Now they have Burns on the other.
“So it’s a kind of pick-your-poison right there,’’ middle linebacker Bobby Okereke said.
“I hope he does take it to a new level,’’ new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said. “I think just continuing to be consistent to make sure he takes advantage of his opportunities when he gets chances to rush. I think the complementary piece of what we have up front is probably going to help him a little bit, too.’’
The plan is sound. It has been implemented. The unveiling comes Sept. 8 against the Vikings.
“I feel like it’s going to be good,’’ Burns said. “The times we did have a lead in Carolina, it was fun to know that a team had no other choice but to throw the ball and you’re really able to let loose and open up your arsenal. But when you’re playing from behind and it’s a 50-50 game you can’t really let loose, you can’t really set up your tackle, you just got to play it honest, and that makes you a little more conservative.’’
The expression that causes a Pavolvian response in edge rushers is “pin your ears back.’’ Think third-and-8 in the first quarter or up two scores in the fourth quarter.
Burns has not had the opportunity to pin his ears back nearly enough in his five seasons with the Panthers.
“Holistically? Yeah,’’ he said. “Just because the team’s success wasn’t very high. There was some opportunity to just fully pin your years back, but that’s all behind me now. Looking forward to doing that here.’’
