If one thing has become apparent in 2016, it’s the New York Giants must find a way to fix their offensive line next season.
It’s been a rough year for the New York Giants offense and much of those problems have stemmed from a struggling offensive line.Though the season hasn’t been devoid of any bright spots along the line, they’ve come few and far between. While starting guard Justin Pugh has been solid and backup Brett Jones did a good job in limited action, injuries have hampered both players. These key injuries, along with a lack of premiere talent, have pulled the unit’s production way down.
A poor push in the running game has lead to a second to last league rank in terms of rushing yardage. Center Weston Richburg hasn’t aided the matter considerably in this department. Coming off a season in which he was one of the biggest Pro Bowl snubs of the year, Richburg has lacked consistency in 2016.
Meanwhile, first-round pick Ereck Flowers has disappointed many who expected the sophomore to take a step forward in his development following a shaky rookie campaign. Per Pro Football Focus (PFF), after allowing 69 total quarterback disruptions (the most among NFL tackles) in 2015, this season Flowers has ranked second to last among tackles in the category with 48 through Week 13. This has all contributed to New York’s line becoming a clear concern heading into the home stretch of a heated postseason race.
While the unit has held up well on occasion, when matched up against some of the upper-echelon defensive fronts in the NFL, it has failed to meet those challenges. If the Giants want to make the leap from a good team to a great one that will begin by adding more talent to their line. General manager Jerry Reese must look at all options to do this during the 2017 offseason.
We begin with a veteran option who’s made his money with the Begals:
Andrew Whitworth, LT Cincinnati Bengals
Andrew Whitworth has been a dominant force for the Cincinnati Bengals for much of his career. The two-time All-Pro his currently in the midst of his 11th NFL season but has shown no signs of slowing down.
Through the season’s first three weeks he allowed just three pressures in 133 passing snaps, making him PFF’s highest-graded tackle in pass protection over that span. He’s also allowed just 3.5 sacks since 2014, had four games in which he allowed zero pressures this season, and earned PFF’s second highest overall grade (89.8) among tackles entering Week 15. Additionally, durability has yet to become a concern for the 35-year old as Whitworth has missed just two games since 2009.
Despite how good Whitworth has been for the Bengals this season, his return to the team in 2017 remains in doubt. Cincinnati recently drafted tackles Cedric Ogbuehi and Jake Fisher, both of whom they would obviously like to see develop into their starters in the near future. Whitworth’s age could make him the odd man out in this situation, giving the Giants an opportunity to make a bid on the capable veteran.
Perhaps Whitworth could be a short-term option for New York while management holds out hope Flowers eventually develops into the player they drafted him to be.
Sebastian Vollmer, RT New England Patriots
New England Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick has never shied away from letting go of players who miss time with injuries, no matter how productive they may have been in the past.
The next example in that policy could be right tackle Sebastian Vollmer. The 32-year old underwent year ending shoulder surgery before the season began, dashing hopes his return to the right side of the offensive line would increase his productivity. With New England getting a breakout season from replacement Marcus Cannon, it’s likely Vollmer won’t return to the Patriots in 2017.
However, this shouldn’t deter the Giants from kicking the tires on the veteran. Former seventh-round selection Bobby Hart has exceeded expectations at right tackle, but the team should still look to bring in more depth.
Vollmer turned in a sub-par 2015 season as he struggled while playing out of position to fill in for an injured Nate Solder as the Patriots’ left tackle. He allowed 53.5 pressures on the year including 8.5 sacks, 14 hits, 31 hurries. Those numbers were a sharp decline for what he had done the year prior. In 2014 playing at his natural position of right tackle Vollmer was responsible for just 28 pressures, consisting of four sacks, five hits, and 19 hurries.
Though there’s no telling what kind of player he will be after spending a season on IR, only two years ago Vollmer was one of the best and most well rounded right tackles in the league. If he were to return to form, New York would have an elite right tackle and an above average flex lineman in Hart to rotate in during games.
TJ Lang, RG Green Bay Packers
While current starter John Jerry has had himself a decent season, adding TJ Lang to the roster would give the Giants one of the best interior offensive lines in the league. A trio of Lang, Richburg, and Pugh could revamp the team’s rushing attack and help keep a clean pocket up the middle for quarterback Eli Manning.
In 2015 Lang was ranked 57th among PFF’s top 101 players of the year. Lang allowed just 20 total pressure over Green Bay’s 18 games last season, being responsible for only one sack and one hit. He also came in as the site’s fourth best overall guard for his efforts.
Lang is a steady pass blocker with the ability to move defenders in the run game. Once again in 2016 his abilities have been in full display, finishing as PFF’s 22nd highest graded offensive lineman through Week 13. Over the nine games he’s played during that span, Lang allowed only five total pressures, with no sacks or hits.
At 29-years old, a three to four year deal for the veteran guard would be an ideal fit for New York. The market for Lang won’t come cheap, but the impact another Pro Bowl caliber lineman could have on the Giants offense would be well worth the cost.