Giants Free Agency Round-Up: Offense
By Felix Davila
Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports
Offensive Line: G/T Geoff Schwartz, G John Jerry, C J.D. Walton, T Charles Brown
The offensive line is crucial to every football team, and the Giants’ front five last season is a strong example of why that is. Injuries, and a resulting lack of chemistry, led to horrendous blocking that placed Eli and company near last in the league in all offensive categories.
This offseason brought in four new faces to reshape the line. Each player has starting experience, all are large bodied linemen (Walton being the smallest at 6’3”, 305 lbs.), and each at the very least provides depth to a line that had none of it last year. The best addition is Schwartz, a featured blocker for the Kansas City Chiefs last year, who comes in with versatility and experience setting the tone. According to Pro Football Focus’s Pete Damilatis, Schwartz very well could be one of the best guards in the NFL.
Since he entered the league, Geoff Schwartz has a +4.3 @PFF grade per 100 snaps played, 4th-best rate of any guard in the NFL.
— Pete Damilatis (@PeteDamilatis) March 11, 2014
Schwartz is the biggest body at 6’6”, 340 lbs. and he fits the mold of what Coach Coughlin admittedly wants for the OL: big bodied, mean streak having blockers.