By PAUL SCHWARTZ

The Giants are on the verge of adding their first player in free agency, as they are close to completing a five-year, $25 million deal for linebacker Michael Boley, who spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Falcons.

Boley, 26, is an undersized player who has the speed and range to drop back in coverage and is also aggressive to the ball. He fell out of favor in Atlanta and into the laps of the Giants, who brought Boley in for a visit. He dined with members of the coaching staff tonight and will tour Giants Stadium tomorrow. During the visit, the framework for a contract was hammered out.

It figures that Boley will move into the starting lineup, most likely on the weak side, where a trio of players – Chase Blackburn, rookie Bryan Kehl and Gerris Wilkinson – all played in 2008, with mixed results.