GIANT BUMBLING BLOCKS
EX-BIG BLUE LINEMAN RIPS CURRENT GROUP
IT ALL went terribly wrong, but not shockingly so. The way the offensive line malfunctioned in the season opener was an alarming sight for the Giants but hardly a stunning turn of events for their fans. Last year’s fiveman starting unit is this year’s five-man starting unit.
And so, as the line crashed and burned in a 19-3 loss to the Cowboys, in many ways it was more of the same.
“I mean, they look like the same unit they’ve been,’’ Geoff Schwartz, a Giants offensive lineman in 2014-15, told The Post on Tuesday. “I don’t know what was expected any differently of them.’’
Is it logical to expect the same players to produce differently? The Giants say “yes’’ to this, pointing to the youth of their offensive tackles, Ereck Flowers and Bobby Hart, both 23, as reason to believe they are developing and on the rise. The Giants liked what right guard John Jerry gave them the past three seasons, as they re-signed him to a three-year contract, guaranteeing $3.3 million of the $10 million total value. Center Weston Richburg is trusted and healed from a wrist injury that nagged his entire 2016 season. Justin Pugh has found a home, at left guard.
It all added up to three points, 35 rushing yards, three sacks of Eli Manning and an 0-1 record.
Schwartz was a 2008 seventh-round draft pick of the Panthers and lasted eight years in the NFL, the final two as injury-shortened seasons with the Giants. He was a teammate of Flowers and Hart when they were rookies in 2015.
“He’s the same guy he’s been,’’ Schwartz said of Flowers. “I don’t see anything different from him. I don’t see much of an improvement in his game, at all.’’
A student of offensive-line play for his roles as a writer for SB Nation and as a host for programs on SirriusXM NFL Radio and ESPN Radio, Schwartz took a look at the Giants-Cowboys game and was not impressed with Flowers.
“I wish I could tell you he’s improving but I don’t think he has,’’ Schwartz said.
Flowers, a 2015 first-round draft pick, is in better shape, noticeably leaner entering his third season.
“I don’t think it matters,’’ Schwartz said. “His problems are not about not being in shape. His problems are his poor body position and his hands. No one ever questions Ereck’s toughness, no one ever questions his physical abilities. It’s a technique problem.’’
Like Schwartz, Hart was a seventh-round draft pick.
“His technique is im- proved, he just has to get stronger with his punch,’’ Schwartz said. “He lets a lot of guys bull-rush him.’’
The Giants’ first possession of the night was ruined when Manning, on third down, was sacked by DeMarcus Lawrence, who ran a stunt with Maliek Collins and blew past Jerry on a play Schwartz pinned more on Hart than Jerry.
“A lot of people will blame JJ on that one, he was late to transition, but you have to force your partner over to block the looper, and he was never forced over,’’ Schwartz said. “They’re going to keep getting twist games until they get that figured out.’’
Jerry, 31, is the oldest starter on the line, and might be wearing down.
“They obviously gave him the money. He deserved it after the way he played the past couple of years,’’ Schwartz said. “It gets to a certain point where you just don’t move the same. Trust me, I understand how that works very well.’’
Brett Jones, a 26-year old Canadian, at times worked with the starters at right guard in the preseason and could be a replacement option for Jerry. Jones is 6foot-2 and 312 pounds, much smaller than the 6-5, 335pound Jerry.
“I love Brett but he’s not ready to play,’’ Schwartz said. “Brett does some really good things, he’s a great kid. There is a reason why a lot of guys of his size don’t play, because it’s hard at this size to play.’’
Schwartz said he is “a little partial’’ to D.J. Fluker, the former first-round pick of the Chargers, but stressed Fluker should only be viewed as a guard and not a tackle.
“They’re not going to replace [Jerry] though. It’s not gonna happen,’’ Schwartz said. “No changes are going to be made on the offensive line.’’