By Ryan Dunleavy | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Name the last Giants linebacker to make the Pro Bowl.

Waiting ... waiting ... waiting.

If you guessed Jesse Armstead in 2001, you are close. It's actually Antonio Pierce in 2006.

Either way, it's a long time ago for a franchise that has produced greats like Sam Huff, Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson.

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Free agency is a month away, as teams can start signing players when the new league year opens on March 14.

The Giants are projected to have approximately $22 million in salary cap space, although they can easily free up an additional $10 million or so by cutting overpaid veterans.

It's finally be time to stop treating linebacker like an afterthought now that new defensive coordinator James Bettcher is switching the base defense from a 4-3 to a 3-4.

Here's a preview of what to expect this offseason:

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Norm Hall | Getty Images

2017 review

Playing in a 4-3 defense, Giants linebackers were unproductive and unhealthy in 2017. In fact, Calvin Munson's 60 tackles as a rookie undrafted free agent led the position group but still were the fifth-highest total on the team behind two safeties and two defensive linemen.

No linebacker played in all 16 games, and season-opening starters Devon Kennard, B.J. Goodson and Jonathan Casillas combined to miss 18 games. Backups Mark Herzlich, Keenan Robinson and Munson combined to miss another 27, with Herzlich spending the entire season on injured reserve.

After not drafting a linebacker for the second time in three years, the Giants were scouring waiver wires and practice squads by midseason, coming up with the likes of Curtis Grant, Deontae Skinner and Nigel Harris (who went on injured reserve). It's no wonder the defense ranked No. 26 against the run (120.8 yards per game).

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Mark J. Rebilas | USA TODAY Sports

Position priority: High

Former general manager Jerry Reese often treated the position like it didn't exist, focusing high draft picks on defensive linemen (Jason Pierre-Paul, Linval Joseph, Marvin Austin, Johnathan Hankins and Dalvin Tomlinson) and defensive backs (Kenny Phillips, Terrell Thomas, Prince Amukamara, Landon Collins and Eli Apple).

From 2008-17, the Giants only used one pick in the first or second rounds on a linebacker: Clint Sintim played in 24 games with one start and 11 career tackles before recurring knee injuries forced his retirement.

Few of Reese's mid-round picks on linebackers overachieved.

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So the Giants are left in a precarious position: In desperate need of impact linebackers while switching to a defensive alignment that emphasizes linebacker play.

In the move to a 3-4 front, some outside linebackers now will be grouped with defensive ends as "edges."

For the purpose of our free agency preview series, NJ Advance Media is forecasting which outside linebackers will move inside (included here) and which will be used on the edge (included in a later edition).

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Isaiah J. Downing | USA TODAY Sports

Giants under contract

B.J. Goodson: Signed through the 2019 season

Thurston Armbrister: Signed through the 2019 season*

Calvin Munson: Signed through the 2019 season

Ray-Ray Armstrong: Signed through the 2018 season

*Reserve/Futures contract

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Howard Simmons | TNS

Giants free agents

Mark Herzlich: Unrestricted free agent

Keenan Robinson: Unrestricted free agent

Kelvin Sheppard: Unrestricted free agent

Deontae Skinner: Restricted free agent

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Christopher Hanewinckel | USA TODAY Sports

Top linebacker free agents

Raiders ILB NaVorro Bowman

Titans ILB Avery Williamson

Tough break for the Giants: Linebacker is one of the weaker position groups in the 2018 free agent class.

At the top, Bowman is four-time First-Team All-Pro with the 49ers, including once after a ACL and MCL tear caused him to miss the entire 2014 season. He will be 30 when the season starts. The 49ers released him in October after failing to trade him, and he played better in the second half of the season for the Raiders.

Williamson, 25, is experienced in the 3-4 defense and proved to be an efficient tackler, pass-rusher and coverage linebacker. That's the kind of versatility the Giants need in transition.

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Elsa | Getty Images

Mid-level free agents

Jets ILB Demario Davis

Redskins ILB Zach Brown

Cowboys ILB Anthony Hitchens

Broncos ILB Todd Davis

Jaguars ILB Paul Posluszny

Chiefs ILB Derrick Johnson

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Stealing Brown from the Redskins or Hitchens from the Cowboys would be a double whammy, strengthening the Giants defense and weakening a NFC East Division rival.

Brown is probably the better choice because of his experience in a 3-4 scheme, but Hitchens is very good against the run and incredibly durable. Plus, you have to wonder if there is a reason Brown is looking for his fourth team in four seasons.

Posluszny and Johnson could be the experienced short-term fill-ins the Giants need until better linebackers become available as free agents in the future. Posluszny is on a second wave of production after some down years, while Johnson is the leading tackler in Chiefs history and might have something to prove after his release.

Demario Davis is an interesting choice. He had a career-year in his second stint with the Jets, playing more on the inside than he had in the past.

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Matt Kartozian | USA TODAY Sports

Bargain bin free agents

Colts ILB Jon Bostic

Bengals ILB Kevin Minter

Cardinals ILB Karlos Dansby

Texans ILB Brian Cushing

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Both Bostic and Minter were second-round picks in the 2013 NFL Draft who already have played for two teams.

Minter is the more intriguing choice of the two because he already spent four seasons with the Cardinals, including two as a starter under Bettcher. He totaled 175 tackles, including 16 for loss and two sacks.

If the Giants want to tap into more of Bettcher's connections —general manager Dave Gettleman and head coach Pat Shurmur seem to be doing that with their former players, so why not? — Dansby, 36, started 15 games on the inside for the Cardinals in 2017. Again, he could be a short-term fix who works as an unofficial player-coach installing Bettcher's scheme.

Cushing is the Texans' all-time leading tackler but was a salary cap casualty. The New Jersey native is coming off a 10-game suspension for his second violation of NFL's performance-enhancing drugs policy.

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What would Giants LT Ereck Flowers be worth in a trade?

Analyzing last 5 trades of comparable players

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AL.com

Top draft prospects

Georgia's Roquan Smith and Alabama's Rashaan Evans met in the final game of the college football season and could meet again in the Green Room of the NFL Draft, as both are projected first-round picks.

Unless Evans slips to the second pick of the second round — some mock drafts have the Eagles taking him to end the first round — neither SEC star will be an option for the Giants, barring a trade out of the No. 2 position.

If the Giants stick with the picks they have and take a quarterback at No. 2, Gettleman must decide whether to address offensive line or linebacker — both glaring needs — in the second round.

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South Carolina State's Darius Leonard, Texas' Malik Jefferson, Boise State's Leighton Vander Escher all could be Day 2 options.

As Day 3 rolls around, Virginia's Micah Kiser had 145 tackles and was a dangerous blitzer — and Bettcher loves to blitz.

Iowa's Josey Jewell also was a tackling machine, as Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Penn State's Jason Cabinda raised his stock at the East/West Shrine Game.

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NFL Combine: Meet the 13 participants from NJ

More than just 2 top 10 picks

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Howard Simmons | TNS

What to expect this offseason

The Giants need to overhaul the linebacker corps at a time when there isn't a flashy free agent to sign as a statement of change. Munson looks like a nice undrafted find, and re-signing Sheppard or Robinson could be a cheap option for veteran depth, but the Giants can't guarantee starting jobs to any of last year's linebackers.

The Giants should be active in free agency, trying to identify the right solution(s) from the middle tier of options. There is nobody available worth overpaying for, especially if the Giants break the bank for offensive lineman Andrew Norwell.

Brown and Minter have the 3-4 experience that would immediately upgrade the defense. The best course of action includes coming out of Day 2 of the NFL Draft with an immediate contributor.

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Position-by-position free agency overview

Offensive line

Running back

Wide receiver

Tight end

Quarterback

Cornerbacks

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NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Ryan Dunleavy can be reached at rdunleavy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rydunleavy.