New York Giants 2017 Roster Preview: Offensive Linemen
By Sean Dyer
LG Justin Pugh, C Weston Richburg, and RG John Jerry
I’m pretty confident that all Giants fans can agree that Justin Pugh and Weston Richburg are the only two offensive linemen New York can rely on game in and game out.
Justin Pugh started his Giants career at right tackle before moving inside to left guard. Pugh was a solid right tackle but has become an even better left guard.
Pugh missed a month last season with a knee injury but when he was on the field, he was one of the NFL’s best guards.
If Ereck Flowers continues to struggle at left tackle, there will be cries to move Pugh to his college position. However, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Pugh might play better than Flowers at left tackle but he won’t be as good as he is at left guard. The upgrade at left tackle would be outweighed by the downgrade at left guard.
The New York Giants have found themselves a very good starting left guard and they should make sure it stays that way.
The Giants also found themselves a very good starting center when they took Weston Richburg in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
Richburg has started 46 of a possible 48 regular season games since entering the league. He started at left guard his rookie year where he struggled a bit. However, since moving back to his natural position of center, Richburg has been an anchor for the Giants offensive line.
Pugh and Richburg are both free agents at the end of the 2017 season and if they play up to their standards, they will both be getting big paydays next offseason.
John Jerry is a seven-year veteran who has had an inconsistent Giants career thus far. Jerry has started 40 games over the last three years in New York, working mostly at right guard.
Jerry made some strides in pass protection last season, to the point where he wasn’t a liability. However, run blocking was a different story. Jerry couldn’t move anyone in the run game, forcing the Giants to run to the left side as often as possible.
Big Blue brought in free agent D.J. Fluker to compete with John Jerry and Bobby Hart for spots on the right side of the offensive line. We’ll get more into Fluker in a bit, but I think the incumbent Jerry and Hart both hold onto their jobs.