The New York Giants emphasized rebuilding the offensive line after last season, and they added a third piece to the line through free agency during training camp, signing veteran guard Greg Van Roten on Tuesday to further bolster the line.
To make room on the roster, the Giants released cornerback Aaron Robinson, who hadn’t played since 2022 due to a torn ACL. The Giants are prioritizing an area that needed clear upgrades after they allowed 85 sacks last season, by far the most in the NFL.
The Giants signed Greg Van Roten to play right guard
Van Roten joins Jon Runyan Jr. and Jermaine Eluemunor as the Giants’ newest additions to the offensive line. He also reunites with his offensive line coach from last season in Carmen Bricillo, who was hired by New York in January. Runyan, who is traditionally a left guard, has been taking reps on the right side during camp, but he has now moved back to the left side with the addition of Van Roten.
The Athletic’s Dan Duggan reported that head coach Brian Daboll indicated that there is a possibility of shifting around the pieces on the line to get Runyan back at left guard. Such a move would also practically guarantee that Eluemunor will be the team’s starting right tackle to start the regular season.
Van Roten, 34, has played in nine NFL seasons since making his debut in 2012 with the Green Bay Packers. He has been very dependable over the past few seasons, missing only one game since 2021. Last season, he started all 17 games for the Las Vegas Raiders and earned a strong Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade of 75.3.
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Has Evan Neal lost his chance at reclaiming the starting right tackle position?
With the way things are shaping up to be, the Giants will likely have Andrew Thomas and Runyan on the left side, with Van Roten and Eluemunor on the right with second-year player John Michael Schmitz at center. One will have to wonder how the signing of Van Woten will affect Evan Neal, who has still not participated in training camp due to offseason ankle surgery.
The Giants were hoping that Neal would progress much better in his second NFL season after a shaky rookie year, but that did not happen. He missed time with injuries and performed poorly when he was available, which was a big reason why the Giants felt they needed to address the O-line drastically over the offseason. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan said that there is a very low chance Neal will be the starting right tackle unless an injury allows a spot to open up.
It is unclear how big of a role the Giants give Van Roten throughout the season, but bringing him in gives them much more depth at a position of need.
