BLUE GENES
Ex-Jet visits Giants to see if he has ...
Last season, the Giants landed former Jet Damon Harrison. Last week, it was Brandon Marshall who made the transition. Is Geno Smith the next to go from Green to Blue? Saturday he visited the Giants, who are looking for a backup QB.
The reshaping of the Giants’ offensive line has begun.
The team agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal with free-agent lineman D.J. Fluker on Saturday, a source confirmed. Fluker has played both right guard and right tackle in his career. The Giants could use help at both spots, and it is unclear at which spot he will compete for a job.
Fluker was the No. 11-overall pick in 2013, eight picks ahead of Giants guard Justin Pugh by the Chargers. After an AllAmerican career at Alabama, he has been a disappointment as a pro. Fluker moved inside to guard after struggling at tackle.
The Chargers chose to cut him last week instead of paying him $8.8 million this season. One of the Giants’ biggest needs this offseason is along the offensive line, especially on the right side. Starting right guard John Jerry is a free agent, and tackle Bobby Hart was benched near the end of last season. Marshall Newhouse, who replaced him, just signed a two-year deal with the Raiders. Brett Jones is in the mix at right guard as well.
Fluker turns 26 Monday. At 6-foot-5 and 339 pounds, he should fill up plenty of space on the offensive line. Fluker spent the day with the Giants before agreeing to a deal Saturday night.
Fluker started 59 games over four years for the Chargers. The original hope was he could be their left tackle, but he settled in on the right side and moved to guard in 2015. Pro Football Focus gave him a grade of 63.7 in 2016, 54th out of 72 guards they graded.
The terms of the deal were not immediately available, but Fluker surely came cheap. The Giants were searching for a low-cost option and do not have much salary-cap space to play with. Fluker needs to get his career back on track and now will have a shot to do so with the Giants in 2017. If he thrives this year, he would be in line for a more lucrative, long-term contract a year from now.