Tag: Matt Peart

Giants’ Matt Peart passes physical, removed from PUP list

New York Giants offensive tackle Matt Peart (back) has passed his physical and been removed from the PUP list.

New York Giants second-year tackle Matt Peart passed his physical on Saturday and will return to practice.

Peart, the Giants’ third-round pick in last year’s NFL Draft out of UConn, was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list at the outset of training camp this week with a back issue. Peart strained his back earlier in the year and recently re-aggravated it.

Peart is off the PUP list as of today and is the favorite to become the team’s right tackle this season. The 6-foot-7, 318 pounder played 150 snaps over 14 games last season with one start.

The Giants began camp with last year’s first-round pick, Andrew Thomas, at left tackle, Will Hernandez and Shane Lemieux at guard, Nick Gates at center and veteran Nate Solder at right tackle.

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PFF predicts Matt Peart starts over Nate Solder for Giants

Pro Football Focus predicts that Matt Peart will start over veteran Nate Solder at right tackle for the New York Giants in 2021.

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One of the most heated positional battles for the New York Giants headed into the 2021 season is the competition for right tackle. As of now, it appears that Andrew Thomas is slated to start again at left tackle leaving Nate Solder and Matt Peart to compete for the last tackle job.

Pro Football Focus predicts that Peart will win the job over veteran Solder.

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Peart, a second-year player out of Connecticut, is coming off of a modest rookie year where he played 150 (84 pass blocking) snaps allowing two sacks, two QB hits, and nine pressures. This earned him a below-average pass-blocking grade of 46.9. However, this was not the area in which Peart excelled. During his short implementations into the lineup, Peart was a ferocious run blocker earning an elite PFF grade of 81.7.

Now to his competition. Nate Solder is entering his 10th NFL season and coming off of a one-year absence. In his last year with the Giants, he started at left tackle for 16 games where he earned a moderate PFF grade of 66.5. However, Solder was clearly not his former self as he allowed a career-high 11 sacks and 56 pressures in 2019. This was a significant increase from the year before where he only allowed seven sacks and 33 pressures.

However, in 2021 with a year of relaxation and injury recovery and the ability to play on the right side instead of the left side, maybe Solder can see some improvement.

Nevertheless, the one thing the Giants can hope for is that this competition brews some player development. The team will truly need it as they have ranked among the bottom in the league in offensive line play for the past few years. This is Daniel Jones’s prove-it year and he needs all the help he can get up front.

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Is the Giants offensive line ‘too old’ under Dave Gettleman?

Is the New York Giants’ offensive line assembled by general manager Dave Gettleman “too old” headed into the 2021 season?

When New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman logged into Zoom for a conference call on Tuesday, it didn’t take long before things got a bit heated.

NFL Network’s Kim Jones challenged Gettleman on his offensive line, repeatedly pressing him about the presence of Nate Solder and Kevin Zeitler.

That exchange can be seen below:

In 2020, the Giants had an offensive line that featured a rotation including Andrew Thomas, Will Hernandez, Shane Lemieux, Nick Gates, Kevin Zeitler, Cam Fleming and Matt Peart. Three of them were rookies and one was a first-time starter at center.

For reference, here are their current ages:

  • Andrew Thomas (21)
  • Will Hernandez (25)
  • Shane Lemieux (23)
  • Nick Gates (25)
  • Kevin Zeitler (30)
  • Cam Fleming (28)
  • Matt Peart (23)

Note: When the 2020 season started, Thomas was 20 and Gates was 24.

That comes out to an average age of exactly 25. If we’re being objective and honest, that is not “old” by NFL standards and is actually quite young when accounting for Gates’ lack of experience.

In fact, the Giants had one of the youngest 53-man rosters in the league as of September of last year. At an average age of 25.7, only eight other teams could boast about more youth. So what does it say about New York’s offensive line when their average age was younger than a collective roster that was among the most youthful in football?

In 2021, the unit will look relatively similar but will likely be without Fleming. Instead, there’s a possibility that Nate Solder (32) returns after opting out last season due to COVID-19 concerns.

“When your center and your left guard and your left tackle are rookies, basically you’re young,” Gettleman said.

Based on their previous rotation, the presence of Solder would boost the offensive line’s average age from 25 to 25.6, but even then they’d be younger than one of the youngest collective rosters in the NFL.

Of course, there is no guarantee that either Solder or Zeitler return in 2021. The Giants have already approached Solder about a potential restructure/pay cut and rumors persist that Zeitler is very much on the trading block.

Gettleman also left open the possibility that Peart, not Solder, would start at right tackle this season, making the Giants’ offensive line one of the youngest in football (starting five would have an average age of 24.4).

“I am, yes,” Gettleman said when asked if he’d be comfortable with Thomas and Peart both starting. “When [Peart] played, he played fine. He played pretty damn well. At some point in time, you’ve got to let the young kids play. Listen, every player was a rookie at some point or a young player at some point. At some point in time, you have to have confidence in who’s on your club and you have to put him in there and let him play.”

It’s a strange scenario because on one hand, Gettleman was being hammered for supporting aging veterans. On the other hand, he was being hammered for having faith in young guys starting. Both sides of the same coin were being played against him, which has become the norm over the past two years.

It’s also important to remember what Gettleman inherited when he took over as general manager in December of 2017. At the time of his hiring, the Giants’ offensive line consisted of the following: LT Ereck Flowers (23), LG John Jerry (31), C Brett Jones (26), RG Jon Halapio (26) and RT Justin Pugh (27).

For those counting, that’s an average age of 26.6.

Was signing Solder (who was 29 at the time) that next offseason to a four-year, $62 million contract a good idea? No, it wasn’t and everyone knew that then. Hindsight views may have changed in recent years, but their was a collective notion that the Giants did what they needed to with Solder contract numbers be damned. They couldn’t enter the season with Flowers at left tackle and needed to upgrade at any cost.

The debate can rage whether or not Solder was an upgrade over Flowers (hint: he was), but context matters. It’s easy to argue against the decision now, but precious few were doing it then.

Still, there’s no denying that the success or failure of the offensive line fails squarely on Gettleman’s shoulders. He promised to fix the “hog mollies” upon his arrival and so far, that has not happened. Pro Football Focus ranked the Giants’ offensive line 31st in the NFL last season and that does not reflect well any way you slice it.

But old? No. The Giants’ offensive line is anything but old.

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Giants’ 2020 draft class earns one of NFC East’s lowest grades

The New York Giants’ 2020 draft class received one of the lowest NFC East grades courtesy of NFL.com’s Nick Shook.

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The 2021 NFL draft is nearing and teams are beginning to maneuver to make room for the incoming class. The New York Giants have six selections in this year’s draft, one in each of the first four rounds (11th, 42nd, 76th and 107th overall) and two sixth rounders (Nos. 172 and 177). They do not have their fifth-round and seventh-round selections having surrendered them in trades for defensive lineman Leonard Williams and defensive back Isaac Yiadom.

But before we jump into speculating on this year’s group, let’s review how well did the Giants did at the draft table last year.

Nick Shook of NFL.com gave the Giants’ 2020 draft class a C+ grade in a recent article.

The lukewarm grade is largely based on the poor start to first round pick Andrew Thomas’ NFL career. Thomas played all 16 games, starting 15 and led the NFL in sacks and pressures allowed. The Giants’ second rounder, Alabama safety Xavier McKinney, broke his foot in training camp and missed the first 10 games of the regular season.

Thomas got off to a slow start in his rookie season, which carried extra pressure seeing as he was selected (a bit surprisingly) at No. 4 overall. But the first-year tackle started to put things together down the stretch (save for New York’s nightmare against Arizona in Week 14), finishing with a grade near that of PFWA All-Rookie Team member Jedrick Wills. Thomas would have started all 16 games had he not been benched for the first quarter in Week 6 for what coach Joe Judge called disciplinary reasons. McKinney’s evaluation is largely incomplete due to a foot injury that prevented him from playing until Week 12, but he also finished strong, recording his first career interception in Week 17.

The rest of the 10-player draft class all contributed on different levels. Third-round pick Matt Peart served as a swing tackle most of the year. Fourth rounder Darnay Holmes excelled as a slot corner and Tae Crowder, Mr. Irrelvant as the final pick in the draft, ended up starting six games at linebacker due to injuries. Fifth rounder Shane Lemieux started nine games at guard.

Peart didn’t see a ton of time as a rookie, but he showed flashes of promise as a possible developmental tackle for an offensive line that has question marks at one, if not both, of the tackle positions. Holmes saw considerable defensive snaps and recorded an interception, but struggled in pass coverage not unlike other rookies selected in the same range. His athleticism and instincts make him a potential candidate for Year 2 improvement. Lemieux replaced Will Hernandez at the end of October after the Giants placed the veteran on the COVID-19 list. The rookie played so well, he held onto the job for the remainder of the season, giving New York a potential steal in the fifth round.

Seventh-round selection, DB Chris Williamson, was waived during the season and the other picks — linebackers Cam Brown, Carter Coughlin and T.J. Brunson — all saw their snaps increase as the season drew to a close.

Brown primarily played special teams, with just 87 of his 397 snaps coming on defense. Coughlin played special teams for most of the first half of the season before seeing his reps increase in the final five weeks, recording 15 tackles between Weeks 12 and 15. Brunson played almost entirely on special teams in a reserve role. Williamson was waived in early September and spent most of the season on the practice squad before the Giants released him in early December. He landed with the Falcons and signed a futures deal with Atlanta in January. Crowder was one of the NFL’s more productive Mr. Irrelevants, finishing with 57 tackles (three for loss), one sack, one pass defensed and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.

Shook also included two UDFAs in his grading — defensive end Niko Lalos and wide receiver Austin Mack.

Lalos was elevated from the practice squad late in the season and made a key play in his first NFL game, recording an interception in a narrow win over Cincinnati. Mack caught seven of his 11 targets for 91 yards and played more than 200 special-teams snaps.

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Giants’ rookie class ranked near very bottom of NFL

Pro Football Focus ranked the New York Giants’ 2020 rookie class among the very worst in football.

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The 2020 NFL regular season has come and gone, which means most rookies now have a full 16-game slate under their belt and can be better evaluated.

So how does each team’s draft class stack up? That’s precisely what Pro Football Focus recently decided to break down.

The news was not good for the New York Giants despite the overall production they received from their rookies. They ranked near the very bottom of the league.

27. New York Giants

Why they’re ranked here: Fourth overall pick Andrew Thomas’ 54.7 pass-block grade (second-worst among left tackles) didn’t help the Giants, nor did any other rookie from the 2020 class. Darnay Holmes (110th overall) failed to crack the top 100 cornerbacks in PFF grade this season, and Shane Lemieux (150th overall) was the lowest-graded guard in the NFL with a 32.2 PFF grade.

How their top pick fared: While Thomas showed some progress during his rookie campaign, there were still way too many lows. He gave up five or more total pressures in five different outings en route to 57 total pressures allowed on the year. Ten of those resulted in a sack (most allowed by a tackle).

Thomas obviously struggled to start his rookie campaign and we later learned it was partially due to an injury that required offseason surgery. However, he improved drastically down the stretch and became one of the Giants’ more consistent offensive linemen.

Also, despite his PFF grade, Holmes became an important fixture on the Giants’ over-performing defense alongside safety Xavier McKinney, who hauled in a game-sealing interception in Week 17.

Lemieux, meanwhile, eventually overtook Will Hernandez as the team’s starting left guard and there was a noticeable improvement on the ground shortly thereafter. However, as PFF alludes, there were some very real concerns with his pass protection.

Not included here were offensive tackle Matt Peart, who played well and may start in 2021, as well as linebackers Cam Brown, Carter Coughlin and Tae Crowder, all of whom flashed at one point or another.

The Cincinnati Bengals topped PFF’s list, while the Denver Broncos checked in at No. 32.

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Eli Manning preaches patience with Giants’ offensive line

Retired New York Giants QB Eli Manning says it’s important to show patience when it comes to offensive line development.

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Retired New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning knows a thing or two about playing behind a struggling offensive line. He also knows a few things about playing behind a quality offensive line.

In order to go from bad to good, there must be some level of patience. And that’s exactly what Manning is preaching as it relates to the Giants’ current O-line.

“I think there are stages to that,” Manning told Forbes. “When I first go to the Giants…it took a little time for all of them to kind of mold into that strong unit, which they became a couple years later.”

Manning said that a part of the offensive line’s growth falls on the shoulders of the quarterback. In this instance, that means Daniel Jones, who will be entering his third professional season in 2021.

Both Eli and his father, Archie, believe that it’s imperative for the quarterback to coach them up, hype them up and keep them focused as opposed to chastising them and offering critical takes of their mistakes.

“You should do everything you can to make sure these young offensive linemen have confidence — or maybe I put it in another way where they don’t lose confidence,” Archie said. “The main thing is to, is to keep getting better — pump those guys up. I’ve never thought it was a good idea to really chastise a young lineman. You encourage them. They usually they know when they’ve messed up so you say, ‘You know, we’re going to correct that and get the better.'”

The good news for the Giants is that both Eli and Archie believe the team has quality talent capable of making the leap. Now it’s about finding patience and allowing things to gel.

“I think there are some young offensive lineman on the Giants — Nick Gates at center, Will Hernandez [at guard] and draft picks [tackle Andrew Thomas, guard Shane Lemieux and tackle Matt Peart]. I think as they get more comfortable and more experienced and, get to stay, hopefully in that same system for a number of years, they’ll continue to grow and be a really strong unit,” Eli said.

Giants fans have run out of patience, but head coach Joe Judge seems to have plenty. That’s good news for the offensive line and the organization as a whole.

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Giants select OT Rashawn Slater in latest USA TODAY mock draft

In the latest mock draft from USA TODAY’s Nate Davis, the New York Giants select Northwestern offensive tackle Rashawn Slater.

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Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle has become the consensus pick for the New York Giants at No. 11 in most mock drafts, but there are still a few outliers who have stuck with Florida tight end Kyle Pitts and others.

Then there is USA TODAY’s Nate Davis, who has decided to go in a completely different direction for the Giants. In fact, he’s tossed a completely new name into the mix and it appears to have come out of left field.

In Davis’ most recent mock, he has the Giants selecting Northwestern offensive tackle Rashawn Slater in Round 1.

11. New York Giants – Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern

Despite investments they’ve made in the offensive line, it continues to be a weakness after a season when QB Daniel Jones was sacked 45 times in 14 games. Slater was a guard in high school but played both tackle spots for the Wildcats and could settle in opposite 2020 first-rounder Andrew Thomas.

Given the Giants’ dire needs at wide receiver and tight end, it seems unlikely they’d waste a first-round pick on another offensive tackle. And if they didn’t want a playmaker, the need for an edge rusher and a second cornerback also outweighs the need for another offensive tackle.

Although Cam Fleming may not return in 2021, the Giants do have Matt Peart waiting in the wings. He saw significant playing time as a rookie and flashed potential long-term potential. It’s likely he steps into the RT role next season.

Still, anything is possible, especially considering general manager Dave Gettleman is calling the shots. But don’t bank on the Giants going OT in Round 1.

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Giants select OT Alijah Vera-Tucker in latest CBS Sports mock draft

The New York Giants select USC offensive tackle Alijah Vera-Tucker in Round 1 of the latest mock draft courtesy of CBS Sports.

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New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman has placed an emphasis on improving the team’s “hog mollies” under his guidance, but after three years, Big Blue still has issues across their offensive line.

While first-round pick Andrew Thomas appears to be a stalwart at left tackle after a rough start to his career, things are less certain at right tackle.

Veteran Cam Fleming, an impending unrestricted free agent, took the majority of snaps at right tackle this season, but was frequently spelled by rookie Matt Peart over the final half of the season.

The Giants are confident in Peart and view him as a potential long-term answer, but that did not stop Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports from mocking a new offensive tackle to the Giants in Round 1 of his most recent 2021 NFL mock draft.

Round 1, pick 11: Alijah Vera-Tucker, OT, USC

The Giants need pass rush help, but bolstering the offensive line may take priority. Andrew Thomas got better as the year progressed, but Vera-Tucker proved in 2020 that he can play either guard or tackle and excelled while doing it.

Given the Giants’ needs at other positions, it would be shocking to see them take another offensive tackle in Round 1 come April. However, if they view Vera-Tucker as a guard, it’s possible (but still unlikely) they take the plunge and use him to potentially replace veteran Kevin Zeitler at right guard.

If they view Vera-Tucker as a tackle however, there’s little chance they spend the draft capital to select him — especially when considering veteran Nate Solder is expected to return next season after opting out of 2020 due to COVID-19.

How would you feel about Vera-Tucker, Giants fans? A celebration or a remote toss?

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Several Giants earn ‘honorable mention’ for The Athletic’s All-Rookie Team

Six New York Giants rookies earned “honorable mention” as part of The Athletic’s 2020 All-Rookie Team.

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The 2020 NFL regular season has come and gone, which means it’s time for analysts to begin breaking down what they saw and handing out various rewards and honors.

The Athletic was among the first to get things underway, announcing their 2020 All-Rookie Team on Thursday. And while no one on the New York Giants was able to crack the roster, a handful received honorable mentions.

Tristan Wirfs (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) earned the starting spot at offensive tackle and Michael Onwenu (New England Patriots) was named the runner-up, but two Giants rookies also got a shout: Andrew Thomas and Matt Peart.

Thomas struggled to start his season but rebounded nicely towards the end, while Peart certainly flashed after he was thrust into the offensive line rotation.

On the interior, Damien Lewis (Seattle Seahawks) was named the starter with Jonah Jackson (Detroit Lions) the runner-up but again, a Giants rookie received a shout: Shane Lemieux.

Like Peart, Lemieux was added to the O-line rotation and played well. He eventually took over the starting job from Will Hernandez, but was a notably better run blocker than pass protector.

At linebacker, Patrick Queen (Baltimore Ravens) unsurprisingly received the most praise with Kenneth Murray (Los Angeles Chargers) being named the runner-up, but Tae Crowder also earned a tip of the cap.

Crowder appeared in 11 games (six starts) for the Giants, recording 57 tackles, three QB hits, one sack, one pass defensed, one fumble recovery and one touchdown. He also received hefty praise from his teammates, including defensive captain Blake Martinez.

Meanwhile, at cornerback, Trevon Diggs (Dallas Cowboys) drew the starting nod and L’Jarius Sneed (Kansas City Chiefs) was named the runner-up. Giants rookie Darnay Holmes drew the honorable mention.

In 12 games (five starts) as a rookie, Holmes recorded 30 tackles, two QB hits, 0.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, five passes defensed and one interception. He played much better down the stretch and looks to be a long-term piece to the Giants’ defensive puzzle.

Finally, Antoine Winfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) earned the starting nod at safety with Jeremy Chinn (Carolina Panthers) named the runner-up. And although he only played late in the season, Giants rookie Xavier McKinney earned the honorable mention.

In six games (four starts), McKinney recorded 25 tackles (one for a loss), one pass defensed and one interception. The INT was off the arm of Andy Dalton in the final moments of a Week 17 tilt against the Dallas Cowboys.

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Giants-Cowboys Week 17: Offense, defense and special teams snap counts

The New York Giants won their Week 17 game against the Dallas Cowboys. Here are the snap counts on offense, defense and special teams.

The New York Giants defeated the Dallas Cowboys, 23-19, in Week 17 but came up short in the NFC East as the Washington Football Team took down the tanking Philadelphia Eagles.

With the win, the Giants end the season 6-10 but did so by going 5-3 over their final eight weeks. They also finished 4-2 within the division and very realistically should have finished 5-1, but they (literally) dropped the ball in Week 7 against Philly.

Here’s a look at the snap counts that attributed to the Giants’ final win of the season.

Offensive snaps: 58
Defensive snaps: 82
Special teams snaps: 30

There was no offensive line rotation in Week 17. Matt Peart and Will Hernandez did not log a single snap, while rookie Shane Lemieux led the offense with 58.

Defensively, Julian Love completely supplanted Isaac Yiadom at CB2. Yiadom played just one snap, while Love took all but one defensive snap. Linebacker David Mayo also saw a substantially decreased role due to the return of Kyler Fackrell, who was on the field 66% of the time.

Finally, kudos to Patrick Graham for finding a way to keep Logan Ryan, Jabrill Peppers and Xavier McKinney all on the field.

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