The New York Giants are still a long way away from establishing their starting offensive line for the 2022 season, but new general manager Joe Schoen made some interesting moves on Monday, the first day of legal tampering for free agency.
Free agency is set to start on Wednesday, March 16. The contracts signed won’t be finalized until then, but the Giants brought in former Indianapolis Colts right guard Mark Glowinski and former Buffalo Bills reserve lineman Jon Feliciano.
Glowinski played admirably to supplement injury to Quenton Nelson last season, allowing just two sacks and 28 hurries over 843 offensive snaps. Glowinski had his fair share of strong past blocking performances, specifically during the second half of the 2021 season. He struggled at times at the beginning of the year but quickly found his form after Week 9, dominating and justifying a three-year, $20 million deal with $11.4 million guaranteed by the Giants.
Feliciano’s contract will likely be a bit lighter, especially since he’s making the transition to center after featuring at left guard predominantly last season for Buffalo.
The former Bills lineman only has 312 career snaps at center, but he’s waited a long time for an opportunity to showcase his qualities. He will re-join Brian Daboll as the Giants’ head coach and Bobby Johnson, his offensive line coach back during his time with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Current New York Giants offensive line:
LT: Andrew Thomas
LG: Shane Lemieux
C: Jon Feliciano
RG: Mark Glowinski
RT: Matt Gono
The biggest questions remaining on the line are at left guard and right tackle. Shane Lemieux was one of the league’s worst pass-blocking guards during his rookie season, and after missing the entire 2021 campaign, there is no reason to be confident in his qualities.
There’s a good chance that management looks to upgrade left guard instead of giving Lemiuex the starting job without any competition. Whether they address it in the NFL draft or find a cheaper option with experience to compete, a bit of movement, there would go a long way. The Giants can’t afford to pair Andrew Thomas with another lackluster player, forcing him to overcompensate.
At right tackle, the Giants signed former Atlanta Falcons offensive tackle Matt Gono to a cheap contract. The team will likely address the position in the draft, potentially with one of their two first-round picks.
However, Gono missed all of 2021 and played just 336 snaps in 2020 at mostly right tackle. At the very least, Gono can compete admirably with a rookie, but he serves as sufficient depth just in case they need to supplement any injuries or deficiencies.
Clearly, the line is far from cemented, but the team is heading in the right direction after starting the off-season with negative cap space to work with.