Guard Jon Runyan Jr.
Q. How much do you put into -- you're on a new team now, but how much did you put into no padded practices and offensive linemen? How do you gauge what's going on out here?
JON RUNYAN: Yeah, really gives you something different to work on other than developing that physicality. You know, this is kind of a new system for me, so learning it and being able to apply it when everybody is going full speed, you know, it's good mental training.
That physical training comes during training camp, so getting together with the guys, feeling how everybody meshes together, and getting these full-speed reps in against the defense is really good mentally. Trying to understand the new scheme, the new system, and it's been going well.
We've been going back and forth, offense and defense. The physicality is down, but everybody's mental awareness and acuity is up. We're getting after it.
Re: offensive line getting together outside of the building. Is that a priority for this group now?
JON RUNYAN: Yeah, I think it definitely is a priority. Since I've been here, it kind of feels like there has been some type of event that has been put together, whether we go to Top Golf or some kind of dinner, whether an offensive or defensive player sets it up, everybody is invited.
Everybody comes over. We hang out, and it's a good time. Especially being a part of a new team, I try to go to as many of those as possible, get to know the guys, where they're from and went to school and stuff like that. Just get comfortable and kind of understand who you're playing with.
I think that kind of breeds this chemistry, and you need that going forward building a good team.
Q. Jon, any time anybody outside talks about the Giants, like they could be good if the offensive line is better. If the offensive line is better. Every sentence about the Giants starts with if the offensive line was better. Will you guys wear that responsibility as like, yeah, it's on us?
JON RUNYAN: Exactly. That's what the position of playing offensive line is about. You get none of the credit. We don't even need the credit. I love watching Singletary score touchdowns; I love watching Daniel Jones throw touchdowns; all these receivers catching them. That's what we take pride in.
So to give them the availability and the option to do all that stuff, that is what we get our joy from. We have a job to do and we know this organization really invested heavily in the offensive line and elsewhere this season.
That's the priority, and we're wearing that on our shoulders. Coach Carm (Bricillo) and coach James (Ferentz) have been doing a fantastic job this off-season. We've really been enjoying it, liking their coaching. I can already see going back, watching a little bit of film from last season and where we are today, I feel like everything has just been meshing a lot better.
Granted, we are in the beginning of June. We've still got a long way to go with training camp coming up, but I can feel everything moving in the right direction of where we need to be.
Q. Jon, you're in between two young players. John Michael Schmitz and Evan Neal, even though he hasn't taken a whole lot of reps. Is that additional responsibility for you being between young guys like that?
JON RUNYAN: Yeah, you can look at it like that. It has really been amazing playing next to John Michael. If I would've came in here not knowing his background, I would've thought he was a five-year veteran. He comes in here and he takes it serious. He is on top of his stuff. He rarely makes a mistake, he gets everybody set on the offensive line.
Having a center like that is awesome. It helps everybody out, the five across. Helps out the quarterback, helps out the running back when everybody is set, so having John Michael in there has been really important.
Evan, I don't know what Evan is dealing with, but he hasn't been in there any of the team periods. He's been in there in walk-through. I think he's been taking his time getting his body right, understanding our scheme. When we are in there in walk-throughs together he's been on top of his stuff. He's been helping me out because this is still kind of a new scheme, something I've never done before. He's helping me. He's in my ear about it, too.
Those are two young guys, but they're really mature for their age and I'm really impressed with them so far.
Q. How do you feel about settling in on the right? I think when you came in you said you like the left side. We know you can play both. How do you feel about that?
JON RUNYAN: Yeah, my whole career, it didn't matter where I played. Early on in the career I played mainly the left, and towards the end, second half, moved over to the right. It feels natural for me now. Kind of when I moved over there about two years ago, I kind of felt like a fish out of water, but it's kind of my home now and I feel comfortable there.
Been taking reps there pretty much this whole time, and day by day just gets more comfortable in the sets and the footwork and everything has been flowing.
Q. How much more do you view that stability position-wise? I know some coaches believe they can just move guys around. Would you rather just like stay in one spot the whole time or you good with moving around?
JON RUNYAN: Yeah, I mean, I think if any offensive lineman would have it, they would only play one spot. That's not really the nature of playing in this league, in the NFL. We've got guys going back and forth between tackle positions, playing all three on the interior, and I think it gives you more value as a player being able to do those -- you know, being able to do those no matter what and being that guy for those coaches that put you in there.
Some guys prefer sticking to one spot, and if I need to play left, if I need to play right, it doesn't matter. You can even kick me out to tackle, I'll figure it out, or center. It's just different things for different people.
It's what coach sees as the best fit for the guys up there.
Q. What have you learned from your new position coach?
JON RUNYAN: Carm, he's very detailed, very detail oriented. He really kind of stresses getting -- there is some bad habits I've created over my career that through the glass of me back with Green Bay, kind of pushed to the side, and come here, and have a new, fresh set of eyes on me.
It's something I've been able to reevaluate and take a step back and look how I can fix these things. Since the beginning of this, we've been doing drills on the field and just put myself in different positions, making myself feel uncomfortable, and trying to rewire how I used to think, how I used to attack defenders, and stuff like that.
It's good because it's making me think more, it's making me think more about my hands, my feet, and how everything is correlated to each other. Having those fresh set of eyes has been really beneficial, and I think it'll help carry me the rest of this and into the training camp and pay dividends for me in the season.
Q. How important is that in this league? You're a player now. You've gone through a rookie contract. Got to free agency. Signed a good deal to go to a new team. But to look at the things you still consider weaknesses in your game and to try to go from a solid starter, I want to be better than a solid starter, how do you go about doing that?
JON RUNYAN: Definitely. Good question. That's just kind of day by day what are you going to do to make yourself better; continually building these habits and holding yourself to a certain standard; not becoming complacent.
That's something you learn being a young player. When you first get in the league, you're trying to figure out where you're going to fit in, stuff is flying through your head. I submitted myself as a good player in this league, and I feel like it's time to take that next step. I also feel like it's time for the Giants organization to take the next step to win the division, get in the playoffs, and make some noise in the big dance.
From a team perspective and from a personal perspective, it's all just not being complacent and putting your best foot forward and developing a routine and good habits that put you further down the road.
