New York Giants: Five Takeaways From First Official Depth Chart
Offensive Line First Unit
Jul 31, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
The offensive line has been the talk of the offseason for the Giants. They looked to finally be getting things together, as they added yet another high-upside youngster in the draft in Ereck Flowers to go along with Justin Pugh and Weston Richburg. Add in the steady Will Beatty at left tackle and veteran free agent signing from last season Geoff Schwartz, and the Giants looked like they were building quite a unit to protect Eli Manning.
Fast forward to today, and the line is in shambles. Beatty may be out half the season because of a torn pectoral he suffered in the spring working out. Schwartz is having complications from the injuries he suffered last season in his foot and ankle, and has been unable to practice consecutive days yet in training camp. Neither player made the trip to Cincinnati, which is disappointing for Schwartz but expected for Beatty.
Last week the Giants were also without Flowers and Westburg in practice, leaving the Giants without 80 percent of their projected offensive line. Thankfully they were able to return to practice over the weekend though. They can use all the reps they can get, as Flowers is being thrown into the fire as the blindside protector for Eli Manning, a spot the Giants hoped to groom him for over time, while Richburg has to build chemistry with Manning as the new center.
With those two back in the fold, the Giants can feel a little better about their situation. They will be relying on the two youngest members of the unit to man the two most important spots; are they ready for that challenge? Only time will tell, as the joint practices during the week and preseason game Friday will be a good first indication.
For the first preseason game, the depth chart goes as follows along the offensive line; Flowers at left tackle, Pugh at left guard, Richburg at center, Schwartz at right guard and Marshall Newhouse at right tackle. As mentioned earlier, Schwartz did not travel with the team to Cincinnati, so expect veteran John Jerry to take over for him. Jerry was underwhelming when pressed into duty last season, like most of his teammates, so if the early results aren’t strong, expect the Giants to look into veteran free agents Evan Mathis and Jake Long.
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