By Michael Stewart@TheTruthNYG
The Giants biggest question mark on the offensive side of the ball has been elevated to high alert as LG Shane Lemieux has sustained a knee injury and the extent of his injury is currently unknown. Lemieux joins RT Matt Peart (Back) as the other projected starter who is currently on the PUP list. Joining Peart on the PUP list is C Jonotthan Harrison (Players Unable to Perform) and their timelines are also currently unknown. So where does this leave the Giants offensive line? The team hasn’t even played a pre-season game and 40% of their starting unit has injuries. Let’s take a look at the team’s options:
Option 1/In House Solutions
- The Giants have veteran Nate Solder currently replacing Matt Peart at the Right Tackle slot, however; he was slated as a backup and now must resume a starting role at a position he hasn’t played since his rookie season. Backup candidates currently on the Giants roster are Jackson Barton, Kyle Murphy and UDFA Jake Burton. At Guard, the Giants can employ Zach Fulton as Lemieux’s replacement who has seven years of NFL experience. These are short term options that HC Joe Judge can go with until Lemieux and Peart return.
Option 2/Free Agency
- GM Dave Gettleman and HC Joe Judge could certainly see if any of the free agent linemen are worth their time. Linemen like David DeCastro, Mitchell Schwartz, Russell Okung Rick Wagner and Austin Reiter are all currently available if the injuries to both Lemieux and Peart become long-term. The success of quarterback Daniel Jones hinges on the performance of the offensive line.
Option 3/Waiver Wire
- Teams are constantly re-working their rosters and there’s always a possibility that GM Dave Gettleman and HC Joe Judge can find a suitable linemen available. Again, this would be more likely to happen if either Lemieux or Peart are deemed out for a long period of time.
Option 4/Let’s Make a Deal
- The Giants could also look to make a trade for a offensive linemen if Lemieux and/or Peart are out for a long period of time. Currently the Giants have ten picks in the 2022 NFL draft with two in the 3rd and 4th rounds. GM Dave Gettleman is no stranger making trades before or during training camp as he has done so in the past; acquiring punter Riley Dixon (Denver) in 2018 and cornerback Isaac Yiadom (Denver) both for 7th round picks.
For offensive linemen; arguably the two worse types of injuries are the knee and the back. Also, it’s important to note that if players are still on the PUP list at the final roster cut-down to 53 on Aug. 31, they must either be activated or moved to the reserve/PUP list. That would keep them inactive for the first six weeks of the regular season. The Giants are hopeful that none of their players currently on the PUP list fall under this category. As I mentioned in my opening sentence, the offensive line has been a major question mark heading into the 2021 season as GM Dave Gettleman failed to sign a notable linemen in free agency or draft one with any of his available picks. Now should we be concern with the Giants offensive line?