Evan Neal, once considered the Giants' right tackle of the future, is now viewed through a short-term lens.
Head coach Brian Daboll and offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo were asked about the possibility of Neal playing guard for the final three games of the regular season and starting the former first-round evaluation on Friday. Focused on the “now''. This pick could be part of next season's offensive line puzzle.
“This week we’re focused on Atlanta,” Daboll said. “We move a lot of people [in practice]. But we're really looking at him playing right tackle in this game. But you never know. ”
The Giants will enter next season with Andrew Thomas at left tackle and Jermaine Elemunor at right tackle.
Starting right guard (stop-gap Greg Van Roten is a free agent) and swing tackle need to be addressed.
“Evan is improving in the right tackling spots. We'll continue to work on that and see where it goes from there,” Bricillo said. “Evan is a big, strong guy with a lot of versatility. We want to know what his best position is. We're looking at it to determine that. ”
Neal spent the first nine games on the bench as the Giants started Josh Ezeudu and Chris Hubbard first after Thomas' season-ending injury.
He has allowed 12 pressures and two sacks in five starts since returning to action, stats that suggest improvement, but when asked by the Post, scouts said, “He's sitting on the ground. He warned that there were still “balance issues”.
“I'm not interested in what people outside the building say,” Bricillo said.
Former Jets first-round pick Mekhi Becton has transformed his career from an injury-plagued missed tackle in the draft to a dominant guard in his first season with the Eagles.
Becton, like Neal, resisted a position change in New York before losing the starting job to El Emunor while recovering from offseason foot surgery.
Can the Giants avoid a similar one-and-done situation by being proactive?
Neal played one season at Alabama at left guard.
“For myself, it's 'Where am I this week?'” Bricillo said. “I understand the front office needs to do that, but we can't do it. We have to go win this week. We can go about our day without worrying about what's going to happen next year.” It's very difficult to spend.”
QB Tommy DeVito has cleared concussion protocol and will serve as backup to starter Drew Lock against the Falcons.
According to ESPN, former Giants QB Daniel Jones surprised his entire former offensive team with a bottle of Clase Azul Tequila for Christmas.
Jones started 10 games, then was benched, then cut and signed to the Vikings' practice squad.
It's common for starting quarterbacks to buy Christmas presents for their offensive linemen, but given the Giants' quarterback merry-go-round, that responsibility is up in the air.
LB Bobby Okereke (back), LB Patrick Johnson (knee) and OG Aaron Stinney (concussion) were out Sunday.
CB Greg Stroman (shoulder/shin) is questionable.
CB Deonte Banks (ribs), OLB Brian Barnes (ankle/neck), RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (ankle), LB Diontae Johnson (ankle), and C Austin Schlotman (fibula) are questionable.
