EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The Giants have acquired another player with ties to Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen.

They today signed to their practice squad linebacker A.J. Klein, who has played nine NFL seasons, including the last two with the Buffalo Bills, for whom Daboll was the offensive coordinator and Schoen the assistant general manager.

Klein, 6-1 and 240 pounds, fills the vacancy on the practice squad created when Jaylon Smith was signed to the active roster on Saturday. Smith was the Giants' second-leading tackler with seven (six solo) while playing 31 snaps in their 20-12 victory against the Chicago Bears yesterday.

Klein joined the NFL in 2013 as a fifth-round draft choice by the Carolina Panthers. In four seasons with the Panthers, three with the New Orleans Saints and two with the Bills, Klein has played in 134 regular-season games with 81 starts and in 12 postseason games with three starts. His career regular-season totals include 426 tackles (291 solo), 43 tackles for loss, 15.5 sacks, four interceptions, 20 passes defensed, eight forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries. In the playoffs, he has 24 tackles (12 solo), including three stops for loss.

Klein was released by the Bills on March 8. In 2021, he played in 15 regular-season games with four starts and had 33 tackles (27 solo), four for loss, one interception and five passes defensed. He had four tackles in Buffalo's two postseason games.

Klein played four seasons (2009-12) at Iowa State.