Giants’ Offensive Line and Injury Updates

During Friday’s practice, the Giants’ starting offensive line was slightly incomplete, but it wasn’t due to Andrew Thomas’s absence this time.

Thomas, dealing with a groin issue, participated on a limited basis after missing the last two days. Meanwhile, center John Michael Schmitz was absent for personal reasons and was substituted by Bryan Hudson while the media was present.

Schmitz is anticipated to return in time for the game against the Cardinals on Sunday, and Thomas intends to play as well.

Interestingly, the Giants didn’t mark any players as questionable, doubtful, or out on the injury report published Friday.

It seems Thomas might be following a plan similar to what Plaxico Burress used, where he rests quite a bit during the week to ensure he’s ready for game days. So, perhaps it’s best not to overreact to his participation levels on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

“Was that the year that the Giants won it all?” Thomas mentioned, expressing hope for a similar outcome this season.

The secondary also appears to be back to full strength. Safety Tyler Nubin and cornerback Deonte Banks were both able to practice fully for the first time this week after sitting out last game due to calf injuries.

On another note, the Giants have been mixing things up with their backup running backs lately: Najee Harris was inactive for Week 1, all three backups played in Week 2, and then Devin “Motor” Singletary was a healthy scratch in Week 3.

Tyrone Tracy Jr. has remained on the active roster primarily for his kick-return skills; however, WR Charlie Jones has started to contribute in that area too. Tracy, who fumbled earlier in the season, moved from not practicing on Wednesday to limited participation on Thursday and finally full practice by Friday.

So, how does Harbaugh decide who gets to be RB4 each week? “It’s probably based on what you feel like gives you the best chance [to win],” he explained. He mentioned that it can depend on the game plan and matchups, but also gives credit to Najee for improving now that he’s been with the team longer and is in better shape. He also praised Motor for his consistency and noted that Tracy has been practicing well; all of them are performing positively on the field.

In a related move, Kendrick Green, an offensive guard/center and a third-round pick from 2021, was signed to the practice squad after having played one game with the Browns last season.