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Report: Robert Ayers and Giants agree to 2-year deal

Ayers visited the Bengals previously, but will instead sign with the Giants.

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Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The Cincinnati Bengals will probably look to add a defensive end in free agency or the NFL Draft after Michael Johnson left, leaving just three DEs on the roster who played last year.

Wallace Gilberry, Margus Hunt and Carlos Dunlap are a solid foundation, but Robert Geathers missed nearly the entire season and Dontay Moch was claimed off waivers to be a camp body until he can prove he's a capable 4-3 DE.

With the draft still a month away, the Bengals will probably kick the tires on several veteran lineman, including Denver Broncos free agent Robert Ayers, who visited two weeks ago.

But after visiting with the New York Giants Tuesday, The club has reached a two-year agreement with Ayers, Mike Garafolo of Fox reports.

A former first-round pick out of Tennessee, Ayers started in 27 of a possible 72 games for the Broncos, including three last season. He also registered a career-high 5.5 sacks last season along with 29 total tackles.

He would be a nice backup behind Dunlap and Hunt or Gilberry. The New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys have also expressed interest in Ayers. Pro Football Focus gave him a +8.1 grade, and was their 14th-best DE that played in at least 25% of his team's snaps.