Pugh would like to be back in Blue
Giants guard Justin Pugh was recently accepted into the NFL’s Broadcast Boot Camp as a possible future star analyst. But he’s not done playing yet after coming ‘Straight Off the Couch’ to help the Giants last fall.
The 11-year veteran sat down with the Daily News on the Talkin’ Ball with Pat Leonard podcast to discuss his free agency plans, advice for teams scouting and developing offensive linemen, confidence in Evan Neal, the Giants’ top need in free agency and more.
ON PUGH’S FREE AGENCY
Pugh, 33, said he loves New York and wants to be back with the Giants, but he has options.
He knows the Giants have “bigger fish to fry” before they get to him and expects a conversation once they figure out their biggest salary cap commitments. He just would prefer to have conversations in March or April before teams use up the bulk of their money.
“Fortunately I had some friends get hired elsewhere in the NFL this year,” he said. “My former coach Kliff Kingsbury and former offensive line coach [Bobby Johnson] are in Washington right now. Ben McAdoo, my former head coach, is in New England right now. The Cardinals are obviously in my backyard [living in Arizona].
“I love New York. I want to be back in New York,” he added. “But if they have no ‘want’ to have me back on the team, I obviously can’t just wait around like I’m at the prom with no date. You want someone to dance with.”
Pugh also expects to add more healthy playing weight with a full offseason of regular workouts, compared to last year’s return from a torn ACL.
ON SCOUTING COLLEGE O-LINEMEN
Pugh, a Giants 2013 first-round pick, knows first-hand the high expectations of a rookie offensive lineman to perform immediately in New York.
He also said no one fully appreciates the college adjustment, from learning to pick up pass-rush games, to working on double-teams, to studying defensive coordinators’ third-down tendencies.
So Pugh said if he were drafting for a New York team, he would be “redshirting every offensive lineman” for one year “off the bat.”
“I’m redshirting him his first year,” Pugh said of a hypothetical high O-line pick. “I’m bringing in a veteran like myself who can be a good leader in that locker room. You want to have youth and develop youth, but develop youth without the pressure of going out there to perform right away.”
Of course, in the modern NFL, that’s not often realistic.
“That’s where the dollars and cents start to kick in,” Pugh said. “If I draft a guy and I’m paying him a $30 million contract, you expect him on the field right away. The results-driven business that we’re in expects results tomorrow. And a lot of times that’s not in the best interest of the player.”
ON CONFIDENCE IN EVAN NEAL
Pugh said from his own experience, it’s also important not to play a young lineman out of position. It matters that he’s lined up where he’s “most comfortable,” especially if he’s going to play right away.
“Moving me to right tackle out of left tackle from college, I was swimming out there,” Pugh said. “My technique was off. I didn’t feel comfortable. Not until I went back to left guard did I finally feel comfortable again in the NFL, which was three years later. So it took me a while to learn how to do everything: learn how to deal with New York City, learn how to handle the amount of money that I had at the time.”
In that context, Pugh said trying Evan Neal at left guard, for example, might help the young Giants lineman make a similarly positive transition to Pugh’s. Neal did start 28 of his 40 college games on the left side (13 at left guard, 15 at left tackle, 12 at right tackle).
“I wouldn’t be surprised if they worked him out at right tackle and at left guard,” Pugh said. “He may feel more natural at left guard. And I made that transition.
“I know Evan’s talked about coming out of the womb as a tackle and playing that position,” Pugh added. “But at the end of the day, playing football in the NFL as an offensive lineman and getting paid to play football: that’s what he was put on Earth to do. Evan’s an unbelievable talent. And I just think he had some injuries last year. Clearly the foot injury was more significant than people thought.”
Pugh pointed out how Andrew Thomas endured growing pains and now is “one of the best left tackles in football.” Pugh moved on to a productive and long career, too.
“So I’m looking forward to [Neal] making that next step,” he said. “Maybe Evan Neal moves to left guard and becomes the starting left guard for the next 10 years for the New York Giants and breaks the guard market wide-open, getting $20 million a year like guards are.”
ON A KEY GIANT NEED: ANOTHER ‘CLOSER’
Pugh said he thinks the Giants should prioritize acquiring another “closer” on the opposite edge of their defensive line this offseason.
He said Dexter Lawrence is one of the best interior defensive lineman in football, and Kayvon Thibodeaux is turning into a top-tier pass rusher. But they need “a guy that people are double, triple-teaming” on the other side to complete the puzzle.
“Getting a guy to pair with Dexter and Thibodeaux that is a closer, a certified threat. I would spend the most money on that position,” Pugh said. “Go get a guy that’s done it before at a high level. You look at Josh Allen, the defensive end from the Jaguars. I know he’s a free agent. I think you build from the D-line.”
Pugh even floated Eagles pass rusher Haason Reddick’s name as a player that would interest him.
“Maybe there’s something there,” he said.
Watch the News’ full 43-minute conversation with Pugh on YouTube (@PLonNFL), or listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.