Giants Andrew Thomas Confident in Starting O-line

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll probably couldn’t help himself when he got a look at his projected starting offensive line working together during the team’s pre-practice walkthrough on Tuesday.

“I took a picture of those guys in the walk-through,” he told reporters before the team’s main practice. “The five of them out there doing their first drill together. Walk-through drill.”

Given the camp that the Giants projected starting offensive line–left tackle Andrew Thomas, left guard Jon Runyan, Jr., center John Michael Schmitz, right guard Greg Van Roten, and right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor–has had, Daboll is likely hoping that the picture he took of the five men together won’t be the first and only of them in a group shot this season. 

That’s because injuries have been a problem all summer long, necessitating the shuffling of the line, particularly among the interior, where Schmitz missed 10 practices with a shoulder issue.

“It’s great to have everybody back,” left tackle Andrew Thomas said. “We need these reps. We have seven or eight practices before the first game so we need every rep we can get.”

The Giants starting offensive line–at least the unit that played in the preseason–hasn’t been horrible, which is encouraging. But certainly, the fact that circumstances interfered with the unit jelling on the field, though Thomas believes that in the next several days the group will reach the level it needs to be by Kickoff Weekend.

“I think so,” he said when asked if the group has enough time to get its act together. “I think we have a good group. There are a lot of veterans, which I think helps with the group. And then (center) John Michael (Schmitz Jr.) it’s his second year, in this system so just making the Mike points, I think he’s going to do a good job for us.”

Thomas believes that because the Giants have a veteran group, the unit should come together quickly.

“I think it makes a huge difference,” he said. “(Guard) GV (Greg Van Roten) and (tackle) Jermaine (Eluemunor), they were with (Offensive Line Coach) Carm (Carmen Bricillo) in a similar system in (Las) Vegas, so I think that helps a lot. And (guard Jon) Runyan (Jr.) has played a lot of ball for Green Bay. I think it’s just a matter of being on the same page as far as language. But the schemes… Everybody they’ve seen every play there is. So, I think we’re going to be okay.”

Thomas smiled when asked if this was the most confident he’s been about the offensive line, a unit that has been a problem for the Giants since he’s been here.

“Yeah, but it’s easy to be confident now. We’ll see once we get into the season because that’s when you’ll really be tested,” he said. 

“But I think we have a group of guys that will battle to get to the right person, no M-E, stuff like that, not beating ourselves. Hopefully, we can be dominant.”