The New York Giants made several changes to the offensive line this past offseason, most notably adding two former Las Vegas Raiders in RT Jermaine Eluemunor and RG Greg Van Roten. The two are expected to start on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, and they are being coached by the perfect guy to maximize their talents.
The Giants have three former Raiders as part of the offensive line group
The Giants made a change at the offensive line coaching spot at the start of the offseason, and it is another former Raiders personnel member in Carmen Bricillo. He coached Las Vegas’ O-line for two seasons and led one of the stronger units of that position group in the league.
Eluemunor emphasized the importance of having a unit that knows each other well, especially in a complex position such as the offensive line:
“To add Carm into that mix, he knows how we both play, he knows our tendencies and the things we like to do out there,’’ Eluemunor said via the New York Post. “He doesn’t have to coach off the unknown. It’s good for us, it’s good for Carm and it’s good for the offensive line in general.”
Van Roten, who has been mostly a journeyman throughout his nine-year NFL career, talked about the importance of building chemistry with the other guys on the line, adding that playing with Eluemunor for a second consecutive season is a massive benefit.
“For me, especially the way my career has kind of shaken out, this will be one of the first times I’ve played next to the same tackle two years in a row,” Van Roten said via the New York Post. “That’s definitely a positive.”
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Jon Runyan Jr. and Andrew Thomas should bring a positive impact to the Giants’ offensive line as well
In addition to bringing in the impactful former Raiders, the Giants added reliable guard Jon Runyan Jr. in free agency. They will also have a healthy Andrew Thomas back on the left side, so the group should look a lot different than the one that allowed 85 sacks last season.
Of course, that is dependent on whether or not the Raiders trio can bring the same impactful results to the Giants this season. The preseason showed many signs of encouragement as they didn’t allow nearly as many pressures as they have in previous years. However, a conclusion can’t be made in games that don’t count, so they will have to show that they can still produce at a high level throughout the regular season.
