The New York Giants‘ offensive line will reportedly be intact when training camp arrives this July. That’s good news for this long-suffering unit and even better news for the Giants and their fans.
General manager Joe Schoen has been steadily adding to the mix in free agency and the team expects all of their starters to be healthy come the 2025 regular season.
Andrew Thomas is progressing well from his season-ending foot injury and guard Jon Runyan Jr. (ankle, shoulder) should be ready to go this spring barring anything unforeseen.
The starting lineup should be as such come the season opener: Thomas at left tackle, Runyan at left guard, John Michael Schmitz at center, Greg Van Roten at right guard and Jermaine Eluemunor at right tackle.
The Giants added swing tackle James Hudson and veteran tackle Stone Forsythe in free agency. Second-year interior lineman Jake Kubas will also be in camp, as will veterans Aaron Stinnie and Austin Schlottmann.
One player asked about during Schoen’s pre-draft press conference on Wednesday was former first-round pick Evan Neal, whose place on the team’s depth chart is currently blurry.
A decision Neal’s fifth-year option decision is due May 1 and Schoen said the team will not make that announcement until after the 2025 NFL draft. But when asked about Neal’s overall status, it was apparent the Giants are ready to move on. Only a 180-degree shift in Neal’s performance will save or prolong his Giants career.
Neal is currently a man without a position. His struggles at right tackle have been frustrating, if not baffling. Coming out of Alabama in 2022 he was seen as a “can’t miss” prospect. The Giants selected him seventh overall and no one batted an eye. It was a solid pick on paper.
It was a big swing a miss by the Giants, a team that can ill afford to swing and miss, especially with top 10 draft picks.
REALLY BAD: #Giants right tackle Evan Neal, who was the 7th overall pick in the 2022 draft, has been flat out EMBARRASSING.
😳😳😳
Does not even look like he’s trying here.
(🎥@AlexWilsonESM) pic.twitter.com/NYNozoD7RF
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) October 3, 2023
Three years later, Neal’s star has faded after multiple injuries and stretches of underwhelming play. Schoen, whose quest was to fix the offensive line for the long-term, has had to backfill the right tackle job with other options, one which includes moving Neal to guard.
“I haven’t talked to Evan,” said Schoen. “Again, I’ll echo what I said two weeks ago at the owners meetings. He’s going to do whatever he can do to help the organization and do what’s best for the Giants.”
And what’s best for the Giants in this situation might be a clean break. Neal has not played at guard for the Giants and will face a glut of competition there this summer for a roster spot there.
The window for Neal is getting more narrow as Schoen is likely to add more linemen later this month in the draft and its aftermath.
The salary cap ramifications of letting Neal go are significant — a $7.8 million cap hit. They gain nothing by releasing him. Could the Giants attempt to trade him? Sure, but good luck finding a taker. It’s just another disappointing end for these Giants.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Evan Neal likely nearing the end of his disappointing Giants’ career
​
The New York Giants‘ offensive line will reportedly be intact when training camp arrives this July. That’s good news for this long-suffering unit and even better news for the Giants and their fans.
General manager Joe Schoen has been steadily adding to the mix in free agency and the team expects all of their starters to be healthy come the 2025 regular season.
Andrew Thomas is progressing well from his season-ending foot injury and guard Jon Runyan Jr. (ankle, shoulder) should be ready to go this spring barring anything unforeseen.
The starting lineup should be as such come the season opener: Thomas at left tackle, Runyan at left guard, John Michael Schmitz at center, Greg Van Roten at right guard and Jermaine Eluemunor at right tackle.
The Giants added swing tackle James Hudson and veteran tackle Stone Forsythe in free agency. Second-year interior lineman Jake Kubas will also be in camp, as will veterans Aaron Stinnie and Austin Schlottmann.
One player asked about during Schoen’s pre-draft press conference on Wednesday was former first-round pick Evan Neal, whose place on the team’s depth chart is currently blurry.
A decision Neal’s fifth-year option decision is due May 1 and Schoen said the team will not make that announcement until after the 2025 NFL draft. But when asked about Neal’s overall status, it was apparent the Giants are ready to move on. Only a 180-degree shift in Neal’s performance will save or prolong his Giants career.
Neal is currently a man without a position. His struggles at right tackle have been frustrating, if not baffling. Coming out of Alabama in 2022 he was seen as a “can’t miss” prospect. The Giants selected him seventh overall and no one batted an eye. It was a solid pick on paper.
It was a big swing a miss by the Giants, a team that can ill afford to swing and miss, especially with top 10 draft picks.
REALLY BAD: #Giants right tackle Evan Neal, who was the 7th overall pick in the 2022 draft, has been flat out EMBARRASSING.
😳😳😳
Does not even look like he’s trying here.
(🎥@AlexWilsonESM) pic.twitter.com/NYNozoD7RF
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) October 3, 2023
Three years later, Neal’s star has faded after multiple injuries and stretches of underwhelming play. Schoen, whose quest was to fix the offensive line for the long-term, has had to backfill the right tackle job with other options, one which includes moving Neal to guard.
“I haven’t talked to Evan,” said Schoen. “Again, I’ll echo what I said two weeks ago at the owners meetings. He’s going to do whatever he can do to help the organization and do what’s best for the Giants.”
And what’s best for the Giants in this situation might be a clean break. Neal has not played at guard for the Giants and will face a glut of competition there this summer for a roster spot there.
The window for Neal is getting more narrow as Schoen is likely to add more linemen later this month in the draft and its aftermath.
The salary cap ramifications of letting Neal go are significant — a $7.8 million cap hit. They gain nothing by releasing him. Could the Giants attempt to trade him? Sure, but good luck finding a taker. It’s just another disappointing end for these Giants.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Evan Neal likely nearing the end of his disappointing Giants’ career
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