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New York Giants: No New Offensive Line Help as OTAs Begin

By Nikhil Potpally

Sep 13, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; New York Giants tackle Marshall Newhouse (73) and guard Geoff Schwartz (74) talk during the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 13, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; New York Giants tackle Marshall Newhouse (73) and guard Geoff Schwartz (74) talk during the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New York Giants addressed plenty of needs during the offseason, but the offensive line is still a problem as OTA’s are underway.

With Organized Team Activities officially underway, the Giants are positioned to enter the 2016-17 season with great offensive potential. Their second-round pick Sterling Shepard looks like a dynamic playmaker, while the return of Victor Cruz will only help the offense. Dwayne Harris emerged last year as a solid receiver, and proved he can do more than just return kicks and punts.

Eli Manning had a great season as well, limiting his turnovers to a minimum due to the quick pace of Ben McAdoo’s offense. The running game was called upon towards the end of the season (ever since the game against Carolina) and the running back committee looks to be a bigger factor in 2016 playcalling.

However, all of the weapons mentioned above can not function to their potential if the offensive line does not do its job. As we stand here today, this is the projected offensive line:

LT Ereck Flowers

LG Justin Pugh

C Weston Richburg

RG John Jerry

RT Marshall Newhouse

That offensive line does not scare anyone for a second, and will not hold up against a NFL-caliber defense. The Giants failed to add an offensive lineman through the draft and did not sign a starting-level free agent O-Lineman.

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With high expectations for the offense entering 2016, the Giants downplayed the importance of an offensive line this offseason. They cut Will Beatty and Geoff Schwartz due to injury reasons, but did not add capable replacements.

The Giants made some minor additions, such as with Ryan Seymour and Dillon Farrell, but I wouldn’t expect them to start Week 1. Quite frankly, 40% of the offensive line need a major upgrade. Pugh and Richburg look to be anchors, while Flowers is still developing and is coming off an up-and-down season.

Without a good offensive line, the QB will not have enough time in the pocket to scan the field and will be under pressure within seconds of the snap. Likewise, the running back will get tackled in the backfield and/or be unable to find open holes.

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The offensive line was bad in the recent years, and ultimately led to the firing of Kevin Gilbride (and the infamous “offense is broken” quote by owner John Mara). Well, he was partially right because the offensive line was, and still is, broken.

There haven’t been any major cuts from other teams yet, so the Giants are forced to rely on the waiver wire. But just think for a minute, do you really expect to strike gold by adding offensive linemen other teams didn’t want? If they aren’t good enough for them, then do you think they are starter-material?

Unless general manager Jerry Reese thinks Jerry and Newhouse are better than they really are, he is shockingly overconfident in the line depth. I’d consider them as good backup linemen, not starters. The Giants are also not very prepared for injuries on the offensive line with their current roster depth.

An injury can always occur and present problems if not accounted for. Flowers had somewhat of an injury-plagued rookie season, but tried to play though it. I don’t know if he will stay healthy all 16 games, but his brief injury history should be a concern.

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Last year, the Giants were projected to have a top-five offense. They failed to do so. Once again, people project the Giants’ offense to be good this year. Don’t be surprised if they don’t reach that potential. It’s only OTAs now, but Week 1 is quickly approaching and I don’t see any solutions on the horizon.

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