It’s no secret that the offensive line has been one of the Giants’ biggest bugaboos over the past few seasons.
The offense has consistently been weighed down by this struggling and injury-plagued makeshift group whether it be because of costly penalties, blown assignments, or even just overall poor play.
That’s exactly why we saw general manager Joe Schoen and the front office make investing in the offensive line one of their biggest priorities ahead of Daniel Jones’ return from injury this offseason.
The first move they made was adding an established coach to the staff in Carmen Bricillo, who is familiar with headman Brian Daboll and had spent the previous two seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders.
They then brought in some established veteran pieces in free agency such as Jon Runyan on a three-year deal, Jermaine Eluemunor on a two-year deal, and Aaron Stinnie and Greg Van Roten on one-year pacts.
As long as everyone stays healthy over the next few weeks the expectation is that Runyan, Eluemunor, and Van Roten will slide in alongside Andrew Thomas and John Michael Schmitz as the starters to begin the season.
It remains to be seen how this revamped group will perform when the games actually count, but thus far, the front office has liked what they’ve seen from them during training camp and preseason action.
“We’re happy with where it’s at,” assistant GM Brandon Brown said. “There’s a different feel in that room right now. Hats off to Carm, the way he teaches it he doesn’t take anything for granted, he’s stripping the reps down and working stunts into games and practices.
“When you add guys like Eluemunor and Runyan and guys who had that continuity together, and then you add Van Roten later on, there’s a level of maturity and accountability in that room that feels a little different. I think it’s pulling in a different direction right now.”
With all of the external additions it remains to be seen what type of role former first-round pick Evan Neal will play this season.
The youngster has battled his fair share of injuries over his first few pro seasons and he’s struggled mightily when healthy, leading to him likely losing his starting role this year.
The 23-year-old has been slowly working his way back to full activity after undergoing offseason ankle surgery, and Brown emphasized that the front office remains confident in him and his abilities.
“When you look at the development of players, everyone has their own path,” he said. “With Evan, he’s working to get healthy right now and I appreciate his mindset, he just wants to do whatever is best for the team, we’re not losing any faith in him.
“Right now, him stringing together good days of practice then going into a joint practice tomorrow with the Jets and playing in this last preseason game is all a springboard for him to get back on the track that he wants to be on.”