The New York Giants offensive line has often been described as, well, offensive.
Last year, when Andrew Thomas went down for the season with a Lisfranc injury, the Giants pretty much fell apart, and a rotating cast of players contributed to a 3-14 finish.
This year, the Giants are running it back, hoping that Thomas’s return and improvement from holdovers Joshua Ezeudu, Jermaine Eluemunor, center John Michael Schmitz and guards Jon Runyan, Jr. and Greg Van Roten can help.
Right tackle bust Evan Neal is even being given one last shot at a spot, shifting over to guard in hopes of unseating Van Roten. The Giants hope that Neal's lack of footwork and slow reactions will be better disguised in the interior.
Then there’s fifth-round draft choice Marcus Mbow, whom the Giants have high hopes will unseat someone, sometime. But perhaps not this year.
So unless Thomas can inject the entire line with some of his talent, it looks like another long season for the Giants' O-line, who at least will have a mobile quarterback in Russell Wilson for the start of the season.
The Giants bad outlook led Brandon Austin of Pro Football Sports Network to suggest the Giants try to pick up free-agent guard Brandon Scherff, a former five-time Pro Bowler with Washington who just spent two ho-hum years with the Jaguars.
The Jacksonville offensive line also struggled last year, ultimately resulting in QB Trevor Lawrence getting knocked out for the year with a sack injury.
Scherff is 33, and to his credit, didn’t allow a sack last year in 592 snaps. His addition to the line would probably be an upgrade if he still has passion for football and can fit in the salary cap.
If not, the hot seat on head coach Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen will likely get hotter.