Tag: Matt Peart

Giants’ Andrew Thomas was benched for disciplinary reasons

New York Giants LT Andrew Thomas says he was benched for disciplinary reasons in Week 6, which head coach Joe Judge confirmed.

When the New York Giants lined up across from the Washington Football Team on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium, left tackle Andrew Thomas was conspicuously absent.

Instead of Thomas guarding Daniel Jones’ blind side, third-round pick Matt Peart was called upon.

Initially, it was believed that decision was made due to Thomas’ poor play in recent weeks, but it turns out that was not the case. Rather, Thomas was benched for the first few offensive series of the game for disciplinary reasons after he arrived late to a team meeting on Saturday.

“I was late for our meeting last night,” Thomas said in a statement. “Coach Judge always talks about actions have consequences, and I take responsibility for my actions and the consequences. It won’t happen again.”

After sitting out early in the game, Thomas eventually turned to man the left tackle position, but after missing a few blocks, he headed back to the bench with Peart again stepping in.

Head coach Joe Judge insists that neither benching was the result of poor play.

“I want to make clear, this wasn’t performance based at all,” Judge told reporters. “I’m not going to go too far into detail, but what I will say is Andrew violated team policy. There was nothing disobedient, disrespectful or malicious in what he did, but he made a mistake and there’s consequences for mistakes. We’ve got to make sure that we go ahead and we handle that the right way. That being said, I thought that Andrew did a really good job of accepting it, staying ready, performing when he got in the game.

“I’m glad Matt was ready and I’m proud of how Andrew responded to it, he was very mature about it, came in early and competed well. Again, I’ll emphasize it’s important that everyone understands he didn’t do anything disrespectful, anything malicious or disobedient, but he made a mistake and mistakes have consequences.”

Thomas did not play particularly well when he was in the game on Sunday, while Peart appeared stout and ready to go. We’ll see if that has any lasting impact on the team’s depth or rotation of the offensive line.

[vertical-gallery id=657890]

Giants defeat Washington, 20-19: Instant analysis

Instant analysis of the New York Giants’ 20-19 Week 6 victory over the Washington Football Team at MetLife Stadium.

It was a battle for last place in the NFC East, which is suddenly the worst division in the NFL. This game didn’t do much to change that. Two offenses that continue to be challenged faced off in an ugly game between two lost franchises that will likely be drafting in the first hour of next year’s NFL Draft.

The 20-19 victory was the first of the Joe Judge era and it came right down to the wire. The Giants are now 1-5 on the season and are very much alive in the division right now.

The Giants’ offense is still in small ball mode. Jones passed for only 112 yards on 12-of-19 passing. He threw a beautiful 23-yard touchdown pass to Darius Slayton in the first quarter which incidentally was his longest completion of the day.

Jones failed to play a clean game again however, tossing an interception in the red zone on a pass he though he was throwing out of the end zone. The replay showed that WFT’s Kendall Fuller was not in bounds, but Jones should have not put that ball anyplace where it could be picked off.

The Giants played fairly well on defense, but considering that Washington started Kyle Allen at quarterback, it’s difficult to crow about.

Kyler Fackrell’s fourth quarter sack of Allen dislodged the ball which was scooped by rookie linebacker Tae Crowder for a 43-yard return for the winning score.

Of course, the game was far from over at that point. Washington came down the field and scored a touchdown to narrow the score to 20-19, but head coach Ron Rivera rolled the dice on two-point conversion try in an attempt to win the ballgame. It failed and the Giants stayed out of last place.

Notes

  • First round draft pick Andrew Thomas did not start at left tackle. Third rounder Matt Peart got the nod but the two rotated throughout the game. Thomas has been embarrassing bad so far in his rookie season, almost to the point where the Giants and their fans are wondering if they made the right pick here.
  • Jones led the Giants in rushing again with 74 yards on seven attempts buoyed by a 49-yard ramble.
  • Darius Slayton toughed it out with a foot injury and then had his leg bent backwards making a catch.
  • Wide receiver C.J. Board suffered a concussion and a sprained neck and was taken to the hospital for further evaluation.
  • The Giants came into the game 31st in red zone efficiency (30.8%) and went 0-3 in this game.

[lawrence-related id=657843,657771]

Giants’ Matt Peart earning reps at left tackle

New York Giants third-round pick Matt Peart earned first-team reps at LT on Thursday, while first-round pick Andrew Thomas played RT.

[jwplayer rl0KQWmM-ThvAeFxT]

When veteran Nate Solder opted out of the 2020 season due to concerns over COVID-19, the expectation was that first-round pick Andrew Thomas would start at left tackle for the New York Giants.

That’s likely to still be the case, but don’t sleep on third-round pick Matt Peart just yet.

Giants head coach Joe Judge has remained committed to cross-training all of his players at multiple positions, and that includes both Thomas and Peart, who swapped during Thursday’s practice.

Peart earned first-team reps at left tackle, while Thomas was moved over to the right side of the line.

“He’s a guy who comes to work every day with a lunch pale and he’s improved going along,” Judge told reporters after practice. “As we said early in camp, we’re going to move our line around. We’re going to work guys at different spots and make sure we build in versatility and position depth. We had to move some guys around today for that purpose. He’s a guy who’s improved every day.”

Initially thought to be a long-term project, Peart came arrived to camp in remarkable shape and has looked every bit a starting-quality offensive tackle. In fact, Peart has been so impressive he caused offensive line coach Marc Colombo to drop the first f-bomb of training camp earlier this week.

“There’s just a lot to work with as an offensive line coach. We like what we’ve seen so far,” Colombo said, adding that Peart is a tremendous athlete. “He just looks like a [expletive] football player.”

Ultimately, the Giants will put their five best offensive lineman on the field and Peart has certainly been making his case to earn one of those spots.

[lawrence-related id=654705,654700,654685]

Giants’ Marc Colombo thinks Matt Peart is the (f) bomb

New York Giants offensive line coach Marc Colombo is a big bleeping fan of rookie tackle Matt Peart.

The New York Giants coaching staff, led by first-year head coach Joe Judge, is extremely intense. And perhaps no one better exemplified that intensity than retired offensive lineman and current offensive line coach Marc Colombo.

From his violent style of play to his love of death metal, Colombo doesn’t dial things down for anyone — his players or the media who cover the team.

That was evident during Colombo’s Zoom conference call on Wednesday when he dropped the very first f-bomb of training camp when discussing rookie offensive lineman Matt Peart.

“There’s just a lot to work with as an offensive line coach. We like what we’ve seen so far,” Colombo said, adding that Peart is a tremendous athlete. “He just looks like a [expletive] football player.”

The 6-foot-7, 318-pound Peart, who was selected in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, was expected to be a long-term project for the Giants, but he arrived to training camp in remarkable shape and has looked every bit the dominant lineman experts projected him to be down the road.

That doesn’t necessarily means Peart will start, however. Similar to what Judge has said previously, Colombo anticipates the “best five” will start — whoever they may be.

One of those starters could very well end up being veteran Cam Fleming, who has already earned the trust of Judge.

Meanwhile, as Judge previously alluded to, the battle at center is in a dead heat between Spencer Pulley and Nick Gates, who is making the transition from his previous role as everyman.

It’s been a long time since the Giants had a formidable offensive line, but like Colombo, you’ve got to be happy and excited with the way things are shaping up if you’re a Big Blue fan.

[lawrence-related id=654648,654633,654618]

Is O-Line now the Giants’ biggest liability?

The New York Giants have worked hard to repair their offensive line, but does it remain their biggest liability headed into the season?

Every NFL team has their assets as well as their liabilities and for the New York Giants, their offensive line has been a liability for quite some time.

In his latest piece on each team’s biggest liability going into this season, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox identifies the O-Line as the Giants’ most glaring question mark this summer.

We agree, even though the defense was probably the biggest concern coming out of the season last December. The Giants have just one known entity on their offensive line at the moment — right guard Kevin Zeitler — after left guard Will Hernandez endured a disappointing second season and left tackle Nate Solder opted out due to coronavirus concerns.

The Giants have, however, taken steps to address the unit through the NFL Draft and free agency, along with bringing in Dallas Cowboys line coach Marc Colombo to head the group, but it’s a huge ask for this bunch to form some cohesiveness in such a short period of time.

“The Giants will now likely rely on some combination of rookie fourth overall pick Andrew Thomas, rookie third-round pick Matt Peart and former Cowboys and Patriots backup Cameron Fleming at tackle,” writes Knox. “Could this group of tackles prove capable of protecting quarterback Daniel Jones? Sure. With no preseason, however, it could take them some time into the regular season to jell. Given Jones’ struggles with pocket awareness and fumbling—he had 18 fumbles in 13 games last season—this could be a major issue in 2020.”

That is the fear. Too many rookies and new faces on the line could prove to be too challenging at the outset but many see it as a step in the right direction.

Thomas and Peart were both coveted by many teams in the draft and Fleming, having played for Colombo last season in Dallas should help make for a smoother transition.

In addition, the Giants are looking to make a change at center where veteran Spencer Pulley will face challenges from Nick Gates and rookie Shane Lemieux.

[lawrence-related id=653943,653936,653938]

2020 Giants training camp: Position battles to watch

As the New York Giants ready themselves for padded training camp practices, here are some key positional battles to watch.

Every summer brings NFL training camps and every training camp has their share of roster battles.

With a new coaching staff and a load of new faces to pit against some unproven old faces, the New York Giants’ camp will have quite a number of battles for key positions this year.

AP Photo/Roger Steinman

Offensive tackle

Nate Solder was going to have to prove that he was still left tackle timber this summer before he opted out for the season. So, left tackle was very much in play. Now, it’s their priority.

The Giants are hopeful that first round pick Andrew Thomas slides right in and starts from Day 1. That could still happen. He’ll have plenty of company, though. Third round pick Matt Peart will now be thrust into the mix for the left tackle spot as well.

Right tackle is even more wide open. The loser of the left tackle role will have to fend off veteran free agent Cam Fleming and the Giants’ everyman, Nick Gates. These are the two biggest question marks of the summer.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8

2020 Giants training camp: Ranking rookies in terms of importance

As the New York Giants embark on their 2020 training camp journey, Giants Wire ranks all of their rookies in terms of importance.

The New York Giants are likely to have anywhere from 10 to 12 rookies on their 2020 roster. They used all of their 10 choices and went and signed a few undrafted players as well this spring.

Here’s a list of those players in the order of their importance (from most to least).

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Andrew Thomas, offensive tackle

The fourth overall selection out of Georgia this year is a complete tackle who plays the run and pass protects very well. He can play both the left and the right side. He becomes the most important rookie now that the starting left tackle, Nate Solder, has opted out for this year. The Giants ideally would love to see Andrew Thomas come in at left tackle and own the position from Day 1 and never look back.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8

Giants roster outlook: Upgrades, downgrades or lateral moves on offense

Giants Wire examines the New York Giants offense and the changes made this offseason, offering a verdict on each unit.

The New York Giants are excited about their prospects on offense this season. There’s an interesting mixture of old and new faces converging within the unit.

The team used first-round draft picks on offensive players the last four years and have supplemented those players with other high round picks and select free agents.

Here’s a quick outlook of the Giants’ 2020 offense.

Elsa/Getty Images

Coaches

Gained: Joe Judge, Jason Garrett, Marc Colombo, others

Lost: Pat Shurmur, Mike Shula, Hal Hunter, others

Jason Garrett, a former Giants backup quarterback and head coach of the Dallas Cowboys the past 10 years, is the new offensive coordinator.

Garrett will bring a balance and some semblance of structure to the offensive game plan. He is a creative, aggressive play caller who has both the experience, temperament and talent to turn the Giants into a high-powered, respectable offensive team.

The staff is full of familiar faces: Marc Colombo (offensive line), Tyke Tolbert (wide receivers), Jerry Shuplinski (quarterbacks), Burton Burns (running backs) and Freddie Kitchens (tight ends) bring a legacy of success and experience to the Giants.

Verdict: Substantial upgrade

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6

2020 Giants training camp preview: Offensive line

Have the New York Giants finally solved their offensive line issues as they head into training camp here in 2020?

The New York Giants may or may not have solved their offensive line issues this offseason through the draft, free agency and a coaching change.

Then again, they may not have. Outside of two staples they have at the guard positions, the rest of the line is fluid at the moment, and with no preseason games and limited practice time in camp, they may not have time to put a cohesive group on the field.

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

What’s new

Joe Judge, the latest consigliere to Bill Belichick in New England takes over as head coach. He knows his life as a first-timer in this league will be difficult so he surrounded himself with a veteran staff, mainly offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, who just came off a decade-long stint as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

Garrett adroitly hired Marc Colombo, his offensive line coach in Dallas (where he coached three Pro Bowlers) to the same position here with the Giants. Colombo, a massive, intimidating lineman in his day, knows the ropes and will turn this unit into the band of tough guys Giant fans have been yearning for.

Here are the members of that band general manager Dave Gettleman hopes will make him proud:

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Nate Solder

With the salary cap getting pinched next year, Solder’s $20.5 million cap hit is untenable, so this is his swan song unless the Giants ink him long-term and tear up his current deal. Don’t count on that.

The former Patriot’s game is in decline, which is why the Giants used two of their top three draft picks this year on tackles. Solder is not guaranteed anything as camp nears, so he’ll have to show marked improvement if he is going to be at left tackle again this year.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Page 9, Page 10

Report: Giants, rookie OT Matt Peart agree to terms

The New York Giants and third-round offensive tackle Matt Peart have agreed to terms on his rookie contract.

The New York Giants are expected to sign cornerback Darnay Holmes, offensive lineman Shane Lemieux and linebacker Cam Brown on Thursday, but they won’t be the only ones.

In addition to that trio, Jordan Raanan of ESPN reports that the Giants have also agreed to terms with third-round offensive tackle Matt Peart.

The 6-foot-7, 318-pound Peart is the living, breathing definition of “hog molly.” His arms were measured as the longest at the NFL Combine (36 5/8”) and he’s extremely athletic for his size. And although he’s considered a developmental tackle, Peart has an extremely high ceiling and with the right coaching, could become a long-term answer at right tackle.

“Growing up I always wanted to be a Giant. And now I get to put on the blue,” Peart said during an April conference call. “It still feels so surreal to me.”

Peart is not expected to start for the Giants in 2020, but could eventually take over the job at right tackle when Nate Solder departs and Andrew Thomas is moved over to left tackle.

[lawrence-related id=647667,646824,646398]