Soon after he fired his most recent agent, Tony Agnone, New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora agreed to a restructured contract that ends a contentious time between team and player. �Terms were not available, but it's interesting that the Giants termed the contract restructured as opposed to anything else -- we'd assume it's a branch on the deal he signed on Christmas Eve, 2005 -- a seven-year, $41.38 million deal that guaranteed him $15 million and gave him a $3.975 million base salary in 2012. Originally selected in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft out of Troy, he's been one of the more consistent sack artists of the last half-decade.
Initial reports have the deal paying Umenyiora about $7.5 million this year, and providing a voidable 2013 season, which would put him on the open market next season, at age 31. In the 2011 season, the second one in which he's been part of a Giants team that won a Super Bowl, Umenyiora�totaled 25 tackles and 9.0 sacks. He has amassed more than 10 sacks in three of the last six years.
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Umenyiora had missed all voluntary organized team activities through the 2012 preseason, and there was some concern that he might miss the mandatory minicamp scheduled for June 11-13. which would have put the two sides at odds more than they already were.
"I appreciate Osi's patience and effort through this process," Giants general manager Jerry Reese said in a team statement announcing the new deal. "We talked it out, and it makes sense for everybody involved. We are very pleased, excited and looking forward to seeing number 72 on the field at Monday's OTA."
"This gives me peace of mind, definitely," Umenyiora said. We just resolved a situation. It really was affecting me in a bad way. Because I didn't like all the negativity that was surrounding the whole situation. I couldn't stand it, because if you know me, you know I'm not that type of person. I'm just happy all that is over with and I'll be there. I'll play out this contract, I'll play this year and I'll play my heart out."
Things weren't always so pleasant between the two sides. The Giants allowed Umenyiora to investigate trade possibilities, and at one point in the standoff, Umenyiora said that he felt Reese was trying to make him look like a "greedy pig."
"Last year I was offered incentives. This year they offered me in guaranteed money, HALF of what they just gave Kiwi [defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka] guaranteed. HALF," Umenyiora said in a written statement to the New York Daily News in April. "I'm not making that up. Then Jerry tells the world they offered me an extension and I turned it down. And I look like a greedy pig for turning it down. Hilarious."
Kiwanuka received a three-year, $21.75 million extension that gave him an $8.5 million signing bonus, and nearly $11 million guaranteed. That would put the Giants' previous offer to Umenyiora in the $5.5 million ballpark, so whatever happened today, you can assume it's better than that. And if he�doesn't�have an agent, Umenyiora�can keep the 3 percent fee agents usually bank for themselves.
By the way, he'll be at that mandatory minicamp. "I'll be there," Umenyiora said. "I can't wait. I'm all in. Like [Giants safety] Antrel [Rolle] says, 'I'm all in.'"
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