Let's talk Brett Jones and Center.

Center and guard. I guess grecco can do that as well but probably not at the level jones can do it.

Ends up in the lineup this year...

Jones only shot is at guard and he most likely isn’t surpassing our second round pick and a free agent acquisition

Jones looked better than Halapio the other night. I think Halapio is an experiment. Bigger stronger man. Shurmur is looking to keep the pocket from collapsing on Eli and he has the summer to get Halapio up to speed.

I'd be surprised if Jones was released. They'd have to find a decent center cheaper on the wire.

where the Giants don't have a single competent NFL caliber player on the roster. Not good.

In comment 14038670 arniefez said:

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where the Giants don't have a single competent NFL caliber player on the roster. Not good.

Jones is definitely NFL caliber. I'll hold judgement on RT, but not for long, and I agree with FS.

They can turn some of that money into bonus money to make him happy while lowering his number for this year.

and a strong 340. Nice payday. Alternatively, it would be nice to be 6'4, 220, have great hands and run a 4.3 forty.

Of the opponent. Does the defense play a man directly over center?

The QBs seem to be able to work equally with either one.

In comment 14038683 CT Charlie said:

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and a strong 340. Nice payday. Alternatively, it would be nice to be 6'4, 220, have great hands and run a 4.3 forty.

Probably easier to learn to long snap...

I wonder if they extend him.
robbieballs2003 : 7:40 am : link : reply
They can turn some of that money into bonus money to make him happy while lowering his number for this year.

Unless he's part of their plans for next year, this is just borrowing from the future (deferring the cap hit). IMO, unless you're desperate, never borrow. It only reduces next year's cap space.

I'm guessing BJ would love an extension that gives him job security, and the reason he doesn't have a longer term contract is because either they weren't sold on him long term or they couldn't agree on a price. Has he done enough so far this offseason to change that?

He's always going to be on the small side, they're already trying to get more size and power in there.

out at Center right now against other teams one's. It's the best time to get film on him there.

Jones is ok, and was never going to be the long term answer there, but we know what we have with him, so lets see what Halapio has and if Jones earns it, we will be a better team because of it.

Center is a position where you need continuity, but if there ever was a situation that seemed best served with a platoon - this is it. Jones is very good at technique while Halapio is much more powerful.

Won't happen and probably shouldn't happen, but that's the dilemma the staff has for the position.

In comment 14038689 fkap said:

Quote:

I wonder if they extend him. robbieballs2003 : 7:40 am : link : reply They can turn some of that money into bonus money to make him happy while lowering his number for this year. Unless he's part of their plans for next year, this is just borrowing from the future (deferring the cap hit). IMO, unless you're desperate, never borrow. It only reduces next year's cap space. I'm guessing BJ would love an extension that gives him job security, and the reason he doesn't have a longer term contract is because either they weren't sold on him long term or they couldn't agree on a price. Has he done enough so far this offseason to change that?

Absolutely. There are different ways to handle this. If they think he is a valuable backup at minimum then it is a win win situation. You get him for next year at a lower amount. They were caught between a rock and a hard place with getting the center position figured out which is why he is making just over 2 mil. If we release him to save that money then someone else has to be capable. I remember reading Greco took some snaps. How many? If he is going to be the backup C then he should be getting a ton of reps to make sure he is capable but I don't think he has been getting a ton.

him to Montreal for Johnny Football?

If Jon Halapio emerges from journeyman out-of-the league fringe player and at a position he's never played it will be the type of luck the Giants haven't had in a decade on their line.

I'm skeptical, I suspect Jones will be the day one starter as the bullets agaisnt real oppents fly and Halapio's size is less of an advantage (as it is in a controlled environment).

Don't get how we finally have decent depth on the OL, of all places, and some folks think that's a problem. The team and anyone paying attention will or should be ecstatic to have a decent OL backup and the money is already committed to (and isn't that much anyway) so that won't change either. Heaven forbid we have some quality depth.

is that they are hard workers who make the most of whatever talent they have.

I admire these fringe, semi-fringe players who bust their butts to earn a roster spot in the NFL.

It would be so much easier to give up, but they don't. Marcus Kuhn was one of those guys. Yeah, he wasn't very good, but he was the best football player he could be.

Clearly the Giants wanted to upgrade center (Sullivan) but were unable to do so. Jones has a track record of backing up center and both guard positions, that is pretty valuable.

The Giants are a waiver wire team this year. Really, both Halapio and Jones are bubble players, when the waiver wire is considered.

I like the competition in there. This team has been devoid of OL competition, last year especially. How did that work?

I compared Jones's size with the four Centers who made the Pro Bowl. True Jones is shorter than all of them. Only one Travis Frederick of the Cowboys is heavier. He has Jones by eight pounds. Jones 312 and Travis Frederick is 320

In fact I like him. But if he doesn't win the starting position, with his nearly 3M salary, you have to start looking at options.
Would that money be more useful/necessary going to OBJ or Collins? I know in the greater scheme of things it's not a lot, but we're short of cash right now.

for 2018, beyond that there doesn't appear to be significant contracts coming until next offseason.

that doesn't seem like a lot for key OL depth, and he seems to at least be the first OL off the bench, and definitely in competition at C. Especially if the starter is cheap, if Halapio does win the job. I don't think we're in the position to cut any decent OL at this point, depth gets tested and OL guys take a beating over a season.

is not a lot of money.

There really is too much of a focus on the $$'s as if it is an astronomical amount to pay a player.

areas of our team than Jones himself. Odds are we will be all over the waiver wire with wanting to add players. We have needs in the secondary and along the OL. I, personally, have also stated that if a guy like Greco proves he can backup center then Jones becomes expendable. I am not trying to get rid of depth. This is a combination of money as well as not winning the starter or back up position. If we have 2 competent centers then getting back that 2 million in cap space can help us in other areas such as DB or OT. That is all we are saying. When a backup makes more than a starter than in the NFL then that leaves that player on the bubble. It doesn't guarantee he will be gone but it also doesn't mean he is secure either.

...is about as stupid a move as the Giants could make, particularly given their God Awful injury history since the last Super Bowl.

3.5 million is more than worth it to me.

.

You always need good versatile depth if nothing else. Can’t let him go.

well enough at center and guard to earn his pay check. Even if he starts on the bench, there's a pretty good change a center or guard gets hurt and Jones will be an excellent plug in guy.

I like that he's going with Halapio over Jones because he's made a commitment to a big offensive line instead of a random hodgepodge of 5 players. it's not just "best 5" it's best 5 together.

Solder's the biggest guy I've ever seen. Hernandez, Halapio, Omameh & Flowers are all big dudes too. I'll bet everybody's 325+.
The Giants haven't gone with a pure "size" OL in a very long time.

We've only seen them early in games. With a size OL, it's not early results. Those 3 yard gains in the 1st quarter become 10 later. That almost 2,000 pounds of OL with Barkley running hard behind it starts wearing you down.

Shurmur's chosen a direction and Halapio fits the way they'll win.