New York Giants: Bobby Hart A Sleeper For Offensive Line
The New York Giants didn’t add much talent in the offseason to their offensive line, but they may have an internal option in Bobby Hart to turn to.
The New York Giants have added a lot of talent during the offseason. Their defense looks much improved as a lot of money was poured into the defensive line and secondary in the early stages of free agency. They added more talent during the NFL Draft, hitting on both needs and value throughout their six picks.
But, one of the areas that the Giants have essentially ignored this offseason is the offensive line. They added some depth with players such as Ryan Seymour, Dillon Farrell and Byron Stingily, but none are expected to challenge for a starting spot, let alone much playing time. As a result, it looks like the Giants are prepared to go with the same alignment that they used last season.
That will disappoint some people as the offensive line as a unit wasn’t overly strong. The Giants have legitimate building blocks in Weston Richburg, Justin Pugh and Ereck Flowers; the only problem is all three are on one side of the line as the center, left guard and left tackle respectively. The real problem is on the right side, where John Jerry and Marshall Newhouse reside.
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The combination of Jerry and Newhouse is extremely underwhelming, as they are the weak links in the unit. The plan was never for them to start together, as Will Beatty and Geoff Schwartz were expected to join Richburg, Pugh and Flowers in the starting lineup. But, injuries happen and the two veterans barely saw the field, and are now off the team leaving Jerry and Newhouse as the incumbents again.
It looks like both of them will be starters again, as the Giants didn’t add any help this offseason. But, could there already be help on the roster? Do not overlook 2015 seventh round pick Bobby Hart, who looks poised to take a starting job away from someone.
Hart was inactive for a majority of his rookie season, not even dressing in seven games. But, he took it in stride and used the time as more time to practice and work on his craft. “It was basically an extra practice day,” Hart said, discussing the work he did with assistant offensive line coach Lunda Wells during pre-game last season. “Just 30 minutes of real intense extra work, going full-bore, more than you do in a game.”
Hart has put in the work since being selected by the Giants, as he has lost 25 pounds in a year, currently weighing in at 315 pounds. In a phone interview Wednesday, Hart discussed the weight loss, saying, “Just wanted to be a little quicker, a littler faster, and overall it never hurts to be in better condition. I just feel quicker now, just being able to get from Point A to Point B. Things just feel smoother.”
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Hart could find his way into the Giants lineup at some point, as he has the versatility to play either guard or tackle. The Giants will not rush Hart, as he still has some work to do, but they have to like what they have seen thus far. Hart has put in the work to get into better condition, and has put himself in position to earn a role with the team once things start to matter come the fall.