The overhaul of the front office for the New York Giants begins the transitions to different styles of offensive and defensive play. Head coach Pat Shurmur has taken control of the offense in an attempt to rejuvenate the side with stylish play calling and an influx of talent.
Drafting running back Saquon Barkley has initiated the carving of the path to success in 2018, but the offensive line is the unit on the offense that’s most important. Selecting guard Will Hernandez in the second-round attests to the prioritizing of the line this offseason, and the $15 million allocated to left tackle Nate Solder only further promotes that idea.
The most important unit for Giants’ HC PAt Shurmur:
For Shurmur, it all starts with the line, and to compliment that train of thought, GM Dave Gettleman abides by the philosophy of “games are won in the trenches.”
“We’re going to go as far as that line will block for us,†Shurmur stated recently in regard to the optimism surrounding the Giants’ offense.
With the starting unit unsettled and the depth unproven, the offense is very much hanging in the balance. Ultimately, the line determines the overall success, especially when your quarterback is immobile.
There’s a lot of decisions to be made–we’re not done deciding who are going to be the linemen on our 53,†Pat further stated.
#Giants Offensive Line game grades from last night:
LT Nate Solder (73.5)
LG Will Hernandez (77.5)
C Jon Halapio (58.9)
RG Patrick Omameh (51.9)
RT Ereck Flowers (64.8)— PFF NY Giants (@PFF_Giants) August 18, 2018
Here’s a look at the grades given by Pro Football Focus for the Giants in week 2 of the preseason. Solder is a vast improvement over Flowers at left tackle, clearly, and surprisingly, Herenandez has earned the highest marks despite being a rookie. The most pressing concern is at right guard — Patrick Omameh has struggled in pass protection and in run blocking. There has been flashed of success, but the overall impression has been negative.
Don’t be surprised if the Giants test John Jerry at RG in favor of Omameh in week 3. To be quite frank, it can’t get much worse. Jerry is a solid pass protector but struggles in the run game — it’s possible the Giants choose to interchange or rotate the two in and out, playing the hot hand in other words.
There’s still time left for the line to gel, but I would be cautiously optimistic for a unit that has week spots at center, right guard, and right tackle.