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Add an offensive lineman for competition?

Vin_Cuccs : 8/18/2014 10:08 am
I know adding bodies off of the street seldom works, but perhaps a free agent could provide some competition and stabilize the offensive line. No need to make change just for the sake of change but giving more time to the QB and opening some running lanes would go a long way in helping the offense.

Now I am of the belief that Alex Boone is not realistic what so ever so I'm not even including him in this conversation.

I am NOT going to go down the Richie Incognito road either.

I also know that in a week or two, hundreds of players will be cut around the league and perhaps an offensive lineman or two will be included and I'm not opposed to adding one at that time but adding a player now could give him a jumpstart with the playbook.

I think the offensive line could become a more cohesive unit with time, but more depth would be helpful especially considering the injury to Charles Brown.

Some interesting names include Levi Brown, Mike Otto, Jeremy Trueblood, Kyle Cook, Ryan Cook and Mike Brisiel.

Of that list, I think both Levi Brown and Mike Brisiel are worth a look.

Thoughts?
Doesn't seem like NYG's way...  
rptl530 : 8/18/2014 10:15 am : link
and if it were they would have done it earlier.

There's a reason these guys still don't have jobs, no?
OL LOL  
Jerry K : 8/18/2014 10:20 am : link
Do you mean like Charles Brown, Roger Gaines, Adam Gress, Geoff Schwartz, JD Walton, John Jerry, John Sullen, and Jamaal Johnson-Webb?
So,  
Doomster : 8/18/2014 10:21 am : link
You want to bring in lesser quality players to create competition? How does that help?

This is a patchwork line.....look at it....the one guy we thought we didn't have to worry about, Pugh, is not having a good preseason.....everyone on this line is average at best....they are not going to get better than they are....Pugh may have growing pains this year, because more is expected of him this year, and like I said, he will be on an island without help this year....guys like Richburg may get better, but that could be a few years off....

Reese has replaced this line with 3 starters.....are they better than what we had? It looks that way.....but it could take a season or more, or even new players to be added, before they become a functioning, well oiled machine....

The OL has been ignored for too long, and will not be fixed overnight, or in one season....we just have to hope that they are better than last year, and that Eli can somehow overcome the inevitable breakdowns, that occur with guys playing together for the first time....

And most of all, they have to remain healthy, because they do not have a guy like Boothe, who could fill in at multiple positions, effectively...
They already brought in a bunch of cast offs.  
Gman11 : 8/18/2014 10:26 am : link
Brown, Jerry, Schwartz, Walton - and you want to add lesser players to the mix? I don't see how that helps.
Vin Cuccs makes sense  
Still a Sam Huff fan : 8/18/2014 10:26 am : link
There are teams with strong offensive lines and some good quality players will get cut. We need help. I would wait until the last cut. And if it takes a few weeks to get in synch with the rest of the players, so be it.

Don't close your eyes to quality players because there was some failure in the past.
To me, I think the thing of it is, more than  
barens : 8/18/2014 10:28 am : link
Half of the teams in the NFL are struggling on the offensive line, and can use some upgrades. It's just a very hard position to find. For us, I think the answer is going to be to find the right combination that we already have, including our rookie 2nd round pick.

If anything, I hope they will be looking to improve the tight end position if the opportunity presents itself.
Bringing in an OL  
vince : 8/18/2014 10:31 am : link
Competitor means bringing in a new player who doesn't know the play book at all trying to fit in with other players who have at least 3-4
Weeks into the play book.

Now is there competition or is there more confusion and chaos?
Vince  
Still a Sam Huff fan : 8/18/2014 10:36 am : link
He doesn't have to start week 1. If a quality guy, anyone SIGNIFICANTLY better than we currently have on the roster, is available, grab him.
Never hurts  
Big Blue '56 : 8/18/2014 10:40 am : link
.
The OL Situation  
Samiam : 8/18/2014 10:42 am : link
When the Giants OL were good over the years, one of the keys that they played together as a unit and knew each other moves without thinking. Except for Snee, there were no stars but the sum was greater than the individual parts. This current OL has played together for a few practices and parts of 3 preseason games. There's no way in hell, 5 guys who have never played together as a unit, can come together as a unit in that short a period of time. I'm expecting Richburg to replace Mosely soon but this unit needs to get some time together to jell and I think they will and then the team will. The problem is going to be holding it together and stealing some games until they do.
Im' a little surprised with the vitriol towards Walton.  
Vin_Cuccs : 8/18/2014 10:44 am : link
I think has had a solid camp and pre-season.

It is extremely unrealistic to compose a line of all marquee free agents and 1st round draft picks. Look at the best line this team has ever seen: 5th round pick Diehl, undrafted Seubert, undrafted and under the radar free agent O'Hara, 2nd round pick Snee and 3rd round pick and free agent McKenzie.

My main point was that a veteran like Levi Brown and/or Mike Brisiel could come in and provide depth and competition. We are talking about a vet minimum deal so it would be a lowrisk, high reward situation.

I do think that the line will come together and be serviceable. Beatty, Schwartz, Walton, Richburg and Pugh can have success if they play together. I'm more speaking about the depth. Brown was mediocre and is now injured. Brewer does not belong on an NFL field. I was hoping for more growth from Mosley. Reynolds has been only okay. No one else has really impressed at all.

Having Levi Brown as a swing tackle and Mike Brisiel would be a nice insurance policy.

I know I am being impatient and waiting for cuts would probably be a smarter move.

I guess all of the negative press and media criticism about the offense has gotten to me a little bit.
Vin, I'd be more than fine with a player  
barens : 8/18/2014 10:55 am : link
Like Levi Brown, but I don't think these type of players come in for the vet minimum. It would be nice, but these are players who stay off the market until a starting tackle gets injured and a desperate team comes calling.
Prisco CBS had a comment this morning on scarcity of OL  
Defenderdawg : 8/18/2014 11:02 am : link
Referring to Baker ATL but also to line depth in general:

Code:

"• The problem when front-line offensive linemen like Baker go down is that the backup offensive linemen in the league aren't that good. Each team might have one or two developmental players as backups, players who could become starters, but mostly it's bad players trying to fill spots. I asked some coaches and personnel people why it is that way, and the answer I got the most was because big guys want to play defense more now. The second answer was because linemen develop slower now in college because of the spread offenses. At any rate, the preseason really exposes the poor line play by the backups across the league. I wouldn't want to be a backup quarterback, that's for sure."

Link - ( New Window )
I think that's a solution at TE  
BillT : 8/18/2014 11:06 am : link
But bringing in someone late to the OL doesn't help with a unit where cohesion is a important as talent. And the FA the Giants brought in weren't "castoffs". Schwartz was the #1 FA G. Walton was a solid starter coming off an injury who had started the first 36 games of his career. Even Jerry had started the last 32 games he played in 2012 and 2013.
ol  
hankb1126 : 8/18/2014 11:29 am : link
not sure who was gm when he was picked up but we did pick up boothe from the raiders when he was cut and he worked out fine for us

and i always see ex giants ol on other teams from whimper to mc cants
why not Richie Incognito?  
mattlawson : 8/18/2014 12:43 pm : link
We need a little nastiness on this line. sick of our guys being pushed around because they are "versatile"
The idea is good  
JonC : 8/18/2014 1:25 pm : link
but execution is difficult when you consider any player currently available may not be an upgrade, healthy, system fit, etc.

Perhaps a surprise cut or two occurs at roster cutdown, but right now I tend to think upgrade(s) are unlikely.
Incognito  
John in Loudoun : 8/18/2014 2:04 pm : link
I read the text messages and really did't come away thinking he bullied Martin. He came off as a bit of a douche. Did I miss somthing? A bit surprised he's not in camp somewhere.
Incognito owned a suspect reputation before the Martin incident  
JonC : 8/18/2014 2:14 pm : link
by many accounts, no team appears interested in touching him at the moment.
John in Loudon  
cosmicj : 8/18/2014 2:22 pm : link
Yes, you missed something. Besides, I think having both Jerry and Incognito on the squad isn't exactly a good idea. I've actually been wondering about the Jerry signing just in isolation given the reports from camp.
You're not going to find anybody worth a damn  
Enoch : 8/18/2014 2:41 pm : link
while NFL rosters all have 90 guys on them.
Reading the names of our OL  
Reb8thVA : 8/18/2014 4:11 pm : link
conjures up memories of the 70s.
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