Johnathan Hankins going to Colts on 3-year, $30 million deal
Former New York Giantsdefensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, the top-rated available free agent, has agreed to terms with the Indianapolis Colts
He gets a three-year, $30 million deal with $14.5 guaranteed, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Thursday.
"Johnathan is a young, productive and disruptive defensive lineman," new Colts general manager Chris Ballard said in a team release. "He possesses a wealth of experience and brings leadership to our team."
Hankins tweeted his goodbye to the Giants on Thursday.
"I want to thank the Giants organization for giving me the opportunity to play the game I love. Especially, to the Mara and Tisch families for welcoming me and supporting me the last four years," he wrote. "Thank you to my teammates for going to battle every game with me. I appreciate everything this organization has given me and my family. Thank you to all of the fans, I will never forget Big Blue Nation."
He signed off as "Big Hank."
Hankins, who turned 25 in March, is coming off a season in which he combined with Damon Harrison to create one of the strongest interiors in the NFL for the Giants, who went from 24th against the run in 2015 to tied for third this past season.
Even in a new role in which he was asked to rush the passer more, Hankins prospered. He had 43 tackles, three sacks and was third on the team with eight tackles for a loss and 10 quarterback hits -- not bad for a 325-pound interior player who wasn't necessarily known for his ability to get upfield or rush the passer.
Hankins was a second-round pick by the Giants in the 2013 NFL draft. He has been a three-year starter, appearing in 52 games and recording 140 tackles along with 10 sacks and 3 forced fumbles.
The Giants were optimistic they could keep their defense together this offseason, hoping to build off last season, when they allowed the second-fewest points in the NFL and improved drastically as the season progressed. The strength of the team was the defensive line, with Hankins and Harrison in the middle, flanked by defensive ends Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon.
ESPN's Jordan Raanan contributed to this report.
