The Giants signed linebacker Dan Connor, writing in a press release that he was “expected to play middle linebacker.”

It came after the release Chase Blackburn, who had manned that spot for the Giants since his return in the middle of the 2011 season, is a free agent.

Connor signed a one-year contract, a person with knowledge of the move confirmed, part of a busy Saturday for the Giants.

The Giants also agreed to a one-year deal with receiver Louis Murphy and brought in free-agent tight end Brandon Myers for a visit, according to two people with knowledge of these moves. These people requested anonymity because the Giants do not announce contract details or free-agent visits.

Murphy, who played three seasons in Oakland and one in Carolina, is a depth signing, with Domenik Hixon and Ramses Barden both free agents. Myers, who is coming off a career season with 79 catches for 806 receiving yards for the Raiders, would be an intriguing addition to Eli Manning’s pool of targets -- and could help account for the loss of Martellus Bennett to the Bears.

Connor, who is entering his sixth NFL season, was cut by the Cowboys last week. He began his NFL career as a third-round pick by Carolina out of Penn State, and played four seasons there, before joining Dallas last year. Connor has made 27 career starts, including eight games for the Cowboys in 2012, filling in for the injured Sean Lee.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Connor said in the team’s press release. “When my agent called me and said they were interested, I was so thrilled. This is a class organization with a lot of tradition. They’re a successful team with a winning tradition, and it was something I wanted to be a part of.”

Connor, a Philadelphia-area native who admitted he grew up an Eagles fan, has experience in 4-3 and 3-4 systems, as well as at inside and outside linebacker. But he said “my position” is middle linebacker in a 4-3 scheme, one of the reasons the Giants appealed to him.

Connor, 27, has been limited by some injuries through his career, including a torn ACL as a rookie and a broken bone in his hip. He has played a full 16-game season just once, in 2009.

He joins a young linebacker corps with Keith Rivers, Mark Herzlich, Spencer Paysinger and Jacquian Williams. Herzlich, a former undrafted free agent from Boston College, was at one point considered the team’s future middle linebacker -- but he was mediocre in spot duty last season, so it appears as though the team will look to Connor.

It also appears as though Blackburn may not be back. He will be 30 in June but has demonstrated a knack for making plays, like in the Giants’ Super Bowl XLVI win.

Right after Connor’s signing was reported, Blackburn’s wife posted on Twitter, “And with that move I guess we are saying goodbye!” but less than an hour later wrote that post was not in response to the Connor move. Still, she expressed skepticism that Blackburn would be back with the Giants in public Twitter replies to friends, writing that moving on is “a real possibility” now.

The Giants continue to make a series of low-cost moves in free agency as they are believed to be very close to the 2013 salary cap, though Myers could be a more expensive addition. The team sounded ready to move forward with the tight ends on their roster, including 2012 fourth-round pick Adrien Robinson and maybe a draft pick, but Myers could be a weapon at the tight end position.

NFL news website Pro Football Talk first reported the Connor and Murphy signings, while the New York Daily News first reported Myers’ visit.