Giants OLB Boogie Basham, Jr. Makes Honest Confession About Transition to Giants

Basham spent his first season as a Giant trying to find his footing in the defense.

Jul 25, 2024; East Rutherford, NY, USA; New York Giants linebacker Boogie Basham Jr. (55) looks on during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. / Lucas Boland-USA TODAY Sports

For New York Giants outside linebacker Boogie Basham, Jr., on August 29, 2023, he planned it to be like any other day as far chopping wood and getting better within the framework of the Buffalo Bills defense, with whom he was with at the time.

That is until Basham was advised that he was being traded to the New York Giants. While not necessarily of the opinion that being sent to the Giants was like being exiled to some dark corner of the world, the news caught Basham by surprise and turned his world upside down.

“Yeah, I was a little surprised. Definitely,” Basham told New York Giants on SI after Tuesday’s padded practice. "Because of the camp I had, the production I was having, and the chemistry I had with the guys and the groups, I felt a little thrown off--was surprised for sure once it happened."   

Basham, whose real first name is Carlos, was a second-round pick by the Bills in the 2021 draft out of Wake Forest. In four seasons (45 games played), he racked up 20.5 sacks, 36.5 tackles for loss, and 17 tackles.

Hailed by NFL.com as a potential three-down starter who could be an early down end and a third-down interior rusher, Basham didn’t quite live up to production expectations as a pro. In 23 games for the Bills, Basham recorded 48 tackles, five tackles for a loss, eight quarterback hits, and 4.5 sacks. 

The Bills, having signed Von Miller in 2022 and Leonard Floyd in 2023, moved on from Basham, sending him to the Giants along with a 2025 seventh-round pick in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick.

Oct 22, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants linebacker Boogie Basham (45) defends against Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell (14) at MetLife Stadium. / Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Basham, whose nickname comes from his love of dancing as a child, suddenly had to learn a new playbook on the fly—a playbook that wasn’t necessarily easy to pick up at first—while also trying to re-situate himself and his family.

“Yeah, it was a little frustrating at first, just moving me and my girlfriend from Buffalo to here and getting my family situated,” he said. “Then also on top of learning a whole new playbook, a whole new locker room, a whole new city–it was difficult.” 

While Basham had the support of his girlfriend and parents, finding a spot in the Giants' defense proved to be another challenge.

• RELATED: New York Giants 2024 Training Camp Preview: OLB/DE Boogie Basham

Basham contributed to the Giants' defense, previously run by defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, for the first 11 weeks of the season. Then, without any explanation, he was banished to the initiative list from Weeks 12 through 16 before being called upon to contribute for the last two games of the season.

“I didn't really have a role,” Basham confessed. “It was just more of, ‘Come in; you're physical in the run, you can set edges. That's what we need you to do.’  

“So then I was behind the eight ball learning the playbook as well, a week-to-week thing where I was trying to learn it while also scrambling to get ready just to play Dallas. But I felt like if I had had a camp here, that would've been a different situation.”

Basham, a cousin of eight-year NFL defensive journeyman Tarell Basham, thinks that moving to a 3-4 defense was another factor in his struggles to find a spot with last year’s Giants defense. 

“That was a whole different 180 for me, playing hand in the dirt than going to stand up,” he said. 

Now that he’s had a full offseason with the Giants, Basham has also found himself in the same boat as the rest of his teammates. They’re all getting acclimated to a new defensive system run by Shane Bowen that is the complete opposite of what Martindale ran. 

This system, Basham said, has him feeling more comfortable with his place in the locker room. He’s gotten to know his teammates better versus last year when he was so engrossed with finding his way around, and he’s a lot more confident in what he might be able to contribute to this year’s defense. 

“I'd say this defense is attack-oriented,” Basham said of the differences. “Shane–he’s preaching physicality. That's what we gotta be. If you’re out of your gap, just knock somebody out, and the rest will take care of itself. 

“That's pretty much how I like playing–you have your assignments here and there, but you know, usually just line up, whip the man across you, and if you beat him, everything else falls into place.”

And what might his role in this defense be? 

“I would say setting edges, hitting people, and being physical–that's, that's what I love doing,” he said. “I like to knock 'em out, shock 'em–you know, just play ball the way it was meant to be played.” 

Basham admitted that he’d love to play more downs with his hand in the dirt, but he was quick to credit outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen with working with him and the rest of the outside linebackers to prepare them for their various roles in Bowen’s defense. 

“We spent the whole spring getting our two-point stance working, so it's more comfortable for me,” Basham said. I feel like I can do that or play with my hand in the dirt.”   

When the dust from the training camp competitions settles, Basham hopes his versatility, being able to play both end and inside, gives him a leg up on his competition.

“I have done that at every level, so for me, it's just showing that showcasing on a day-to-day basis and just being consistent,” Basham said. At the end of the day, I'm going hard; I'm putting my all into it. If something does happen, I’ll be happy because I know I gave it my all.”

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