The New York Giants needed to bring in some fear and discipline to their offensive line, a unit that has run rampant over the past few years. Lack of efficiency and production has severely limited the quality of the offense. Hal Hunter was formally the offensive line coach, and his unit underperformed, taking several steps backward in 2019.
Nate Solder, who is expected to fill the left tackle spot for multiple years on a huge contract, reverted back to an infant version of himself, allowing 11 sacks, which ranked at the bottom of the NFL. While he was dealing with some significant personal issues, Solder is in flux heading into training camp in a few weeks, as the Giants drafted Andrew Thomas with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, potentially putting the former New England tackle in a position to swap over to the right side.
Nonetheless, new offensive line coordinator Marc Colombo, who is coming from the Dallas Cowboys, should help in that category. He is a pure disciplinarian with an exorbitant amount of knowledge to help refine the Giants’ protection scheme and hopefully build one of the best units in the NFL. Having worked with Dallas, who consistently features a dominant unit, should give him the expertise in how to reinforce a Giants’ group that hosts zero Pro Bowlers on the line.
What does Marc Colombo bring to the New York Giants?
The New York Post interviewed several OL legends from Giants’ past, and they seem stricken with fear from their experiences with Colombo.
“He was actually one of the first guys I saw at BC,’’ Chriss Snee told The Post. “He scared the s–t out of me. Just the size of him and his demeanor.’’
“They were good buddies so I got to know him through osmosis,’’ said Shaun O’Hara. “I felt like I was buddies with [Colombo] even though I never played with him. I’m a big fan of him as both a guy, as a player and a coach.’’
“Plus, he’s a tough son of a gun,’’ O’Hara said. “He’s got the Boston accent, he’s got his gruffness, it’s a good fit from a culture standpoint, from a philosophy standpoint, and he’ll be good with those guys.’’
Columbo will bring anger, discipline, fear, and strength to a line that has been weak, void of quality, and borderline sad over the past few seasons. The Giants must develop this portion of the team and give Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley the support they need to excel moving forward. Columbo seems to be the right fit for the Giants, especially with the hiring of OC Jason Garrett. Stealing two influential names from the Dallas Cowboys is always a positive, as Garrett will fill a lesser role with the Giants and hopefully turn over their offense. If anyone can solve the puzzle that is the Giants OL, it is Colombo, who has the experience to get it done.
New signing by Big Blue, Cam Fleming, loves what Colombo brings to the team and the energy he instills in his players. He doesn’t just coach, he leads, which is a difference the team has been lacking in previous years.
“He really does love what he does,’’ Fleming said. “He comes in with so much energy, so much juice every single day, week after week, throughout the whole season. I don’t think there is ever a lull in it for him. He’s just a damn good coach.’’
Joe Judge made it a priority to find quality people and teachers in his coaching staff. Signing veterans players to help coach younger guys is not a part of the Giants’ game-plan anymore — rightfully so. The coaches need to step up and get the job done.