With free agency starting on Monday afternoon, the New York Giants are expected to be active early, trying to reinforce the offensive line. Many believe they will target Mike Onwenu, the New England Patriots star free agent who is looking for offensive tackle money.
Onwenu is a tremendous piece to the puzzle, and if the Giants want to spend big, he is certainly the player to do it on. However, they could decide to spread out the money allocated to Onwenu and sign two different players.
One of them could be right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, a former Las Vegas Raider who is looking for a new extension. Eluemunor has experience with Giants’ new offensive line coordinator, Carmen Bricillo, over the past two years, helping boost one of the best run-blocking units in the game.
Eluemunor has played a minimum of 905 snaps over the past two seasons, giving up 28 pressures and six sacks last year. He spent 779 snaps at right tackle, putting together good run blocking and pass protection grades, with two of his worst games coming at left tackle, a position he’s not exactly familiar with.
According to Over the Cap, Eluemunor’s market value is $7.5 million per season, which is well below what Onwenu is expected to earn, which is over $18 million per year.
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The Giants Could Opt For Affordability
This would be a far more affordable alternative than Onwenu since Eluemunor is 29 years old and likely won’t garner a big long-term contract. The Giants may be able to sign him to a three-year deal with an out after the second season at a much more affordable price point, allowing them to invest in a starting-level guard.
Considering the success Eluemunor has experienced in Bricillo’s scheme, it makes perfect sense as to why the Giants would be interested. Still, they seem to be at the top of the offensive line market, and if they lose that on their top options, they could quickly recalibrate and consider Jermaine as a focal point in their free agency strategy.
After having the worst-ranked pass-protection unit in football last year, the Giants desperately need to reinvest in the line, with Andrew Thomas the only player earning significant money.
However, the team needs to address right tackle because of Evan Neals’s recent injury history and lack of development. Neal could cross-train at both guard and tackle, but he needs substantial competition, and Eluemunor provides that at a reasonable cost.