The New York Giants are gearing up for training camp to begin, with rookies reporting on Tuesday.
The offensive line remains a questionable unit. There are multiple position battles that will take place in te coming weeks.. Left tackle, right tackle, and center all represent open spots. Drafting Andrew Thomas with the fourth overall pick gives the Giants a fresh face to add to the mix.
However, they are still dealing with the Nate Solder predicament. Solder ranked as one of the worst tackles in the league in 2019, allowing 11 sacks and five penalties. His struggles are more technique based, having made a poor transition from the New England Patriots over to the Giants in 2018. There is a more personal deficiency at play. It revolves around his young son who has been battling cancer for the past few years.
According to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, Solder represents a David Vs. Goliath complex, dealing with cancer within his family and playing football.
Within the Giants’ walls, Solder is respected as a towering athlete and soulful leader, a durable and reliable player whose on-field performance for some reason deteriorated badly in 2019.
Head coach Joe Judge is excited to work with Solder:
“Yes, I believe in Nate Solder.” I’m happy Nate Solder is here. I can’t wait to work with him on the field. Nate’s been a great leader for us, Nate’s working his butt off. I’m very excited to have Nate on the team.â€
“I know Nate, I’ve known him for years,’’ Judge said. “I know what he’s capable of, and I know [offensive line coach] Marc Colombo is going to work his butt off with Nate, and I know Nate is going to work as hard as he can to be the best player he can. I’m excited to see him in the field.’’
The New York Giants should be preparing for the worst-case scenario
The Giants’ organization is clearly high on Nate, who they paid a record amount for two years ago. The COVID-19 pandemic represents just another hurdle the left tackle will have to consider this NFL season.
His son, who could be a liable risk due to the virus and Solder’s insertion in the trenches of football, could force him to opt-out of the 2020 season. This is a very real scenario the Giants must be considering. The left tackle has always put his family first.
If Solder does, in fact, opt-out, Thomas would immediately start at left tackle and Cameron Fleming/Nick Gates would battle it out on the right side. Luckily, the Giants have the talent to work around that scenario, but it certainly would be a significant hit to their continuity.