The offensive line is young, says the general manager.
“And they are talented, and things take time,” Giants GM Dave Gettleman said Tuesday.
Well, the Giants’ offensive line is not as young as Kevin Zeitler, who turned 31 on Monday, returns to start on the right guard and Nate Solder, who turns 33 next month, returns to play one of the pack spots after choosing the 2020 season.
So, maybe Zeitler and Solder are not part of the plan for this season.
“I do not imply it at all,” Gettleman said.
The status of the offensive line has been linked to Gettleman like a smartphone to a teenager. He promised to rectify this when he was appointed in December 2017. Progress has been made and improvements are clear. Fixed? Not at all. Not quite yet.
Gettleman described his offensive as young, because he explained, “if your middle and your left guard and your left tackle are rookies, you’re basically young.” Thomas, a rookie, starting center Nick Gates was an inexperienced third-year player who worked in the center for the first time, and left-back Shane Lemieux was a rookie who moved into the starting lineup at the expense of Will Hernandez. . in the second half of the season.
The giants will be getting younger as Matt Peart moves in. Peart, a draft draft 2020 third-round pick from Connecticut, played in 11 games as a rookie, making one start, and eventually with 150 snaps, or 14.8 percent of the offensive clips, which are filled in regularly. for a series or two for veteran Cam Fleming on the right pitch.
Gettleman said, “I am, yes,” when asked if he would be comfortable with Thomas and Peart, some second-year players, as the starting lineup this season.
“When [Peart] “He played well, he played pretty damn well,” Gettleman said. “At some point, you have to let the young children play.”
This can be a forward situation for soldering. He is a cancer survivor and his young son is undergoing cancer treatment, which is why he prefers to opt for 2020 rather than play amid a global pandemic and COVID-19 concerns. Attic is expected to add $ 16.5 million to the salary cap. If he were released, the Giants would save $ 6 million on the cap, but also $ 10.5 million in dead money.
The Giants do not yet know if Solder wants to continue his career. What seems certain is that he will not be at the current price.
“Look, I’m not talking to Nate,” said head coach Joe Judge. ‘I talked to Nate and, to be honest with you, most of our conversations had nothing to do with football. I’ve talked to Nate a bit since the end of the season, but only contacted him about the course of the year, how his family is doing, how his son is doing and how he is doing. Lots of conversations, football chats. … There are other parts of our building that are in talks with Nate. When it’s time to address it all, we know it. These things do not all happen in one day and we will see where everything goes. ‘
Zeitler is a solid pro who rarely misses a beat, but has not been selected for a Pro Bowl in his nine-year career. He is the most consistent attacking linebacker in the team and will count $ 14.5 million on the salary cap. If he releases himself, what can happen will save the giant $ 12 million.
One way to reduce Zeitler’s cap is to extend his contract, giving him bonus money to lower his 2021 cap. It does not sound like Gettleman believes this is a smart approach with any player.
“The goal to best manage the cap is to get firm contracts,” Gettleman said. ‘If a man has a $ 45 million three-year deal, you want $ 15 million each year, then that’s the goal. Once you start restructuring and renegotiating, you usually load it up eventually. What you do is you kick the can. It depends on how much pain you want to deal with. Some teams philosophically just say the thing, they restructure and other people do not. It’s a philosophical conversation, but it’s not a good place to meet, to constantly restructure and renegotiate. ‘