IN THE POCKET
Focused on improving Blue O-line
But more importantly, Solder addresses a glaring issue for the Giants, and that is fixing the offensive line.
“He’s physically matured and he’s become as good a run blocker as he is a pass blocker. We’re just very, very pleased that he wanted to come here. He’s genuinely excited about it, which is important to me, obviously,” Gettleman said. “Every decision that comes out of the GM’s office sends a message and I think this is a very strong statement.”
The 6-8, 325-pound left tackle is a twotime Super Bowl champion who protected Tom Brady the first seven years of his career. But he comes to a team that went 3-13 last season and is revamping the offensive line and locker room culture.
Yet Solder does not view himself as the guy who is going to turn it all around for the Giants.
“It’s not about one player,” he said. “I don’t have the mentality to make this huge impact and change the culture and all this kind of stuff. I’m just coming in to play football, be myself and do what I can.”
Solder did acknowledge that there is work to be done with the offensive line he is joining, which he said is not going to magically improve overnight.
“It’s going to be an uphill process,” he said. “Not saying anything about the past but the NFL is difficult, difficult league and we’re going to be the best we can be to perform at a high level.”
The Giants offensive line is still a work in progress. They plan to move Ereck Flowers to right tackle and signed Jaguars guard Patrick Omameh. Center Brett Jones will be back, but they have continued to express interest in other linemen.
It is quite a different scenario from the more stable culture Solder was accustomed to in New England, and while plenty of work remains to be done with the offensive line, Solder’s decision to join the Giants was a family-oriented one.
“Money was somewhat equal; it came down to where my family would be most comfortable,” Solder said. “My wife’s family lives here (Southbury, Conn.), this organization is incredible, just the reputation that we know and the reputation that precedes them.”
Solder is certainly a family man and also provided an update on his 2-year-old son, Hudson, who is battling a type of kidney cancer.
“He’s doing awesome, really awesome. We’re so thankful,” Solder said. “He has one more treatment left and tentatively they’re going to do scans, they’re going to do different things to see if they can remove his port. So maybe for now he’ll be done with chemo and they do that all very conservatively because they know that things can change and it’s never over, but we’re all very encouraged and very excited with the way his treatments have gone.”