4 Overlooked Reasons the 2021 Season didn’t work out for the NY Giants

This NY Giants Offensive Line was never going to pan out.

The biggest mistake the Giants made this season was rolling with a makeshift offensive line that was literally built on the fly as the season started and went on.

Dave Gettleman again did not add a single lineman in the draft or free agency despite bringing back Nate Solder and Will Hernandez as apparent unquestioned starters. Both players joined the Giants together in the same 2018 offseason with Hernandez as a draft pick and Solder as a free agent where the Giaints’ made him the league’s highest-paid tackle.

Solder and Hernandez have been again complete liabilities this season. Solder has regressed and regressed since his arrival in New York. His contract was one of the most misconstrued deals the Giants have handed out in a decade-plus of contracts. Hernandez has only gotten worse and worse through four years and has shown absolutely zero signs of any future development. He seems to still not understand what a simple twist or stunt is on defensive front sevens. It’s something most linemen learn once they get to middle school or high school. His mental processing speed is hard to watch sometimes.

The Giants rolled with Nick Gates at center which looked like a good move after his promising 2020 season. Instead, he suffered a gruesome leg injury that has left his future career in legitimate jeopardy. Billy Price took over who was traded for just before the season started.

With less than 14 days until Week 1, the Giants’ offensive line planned screamed disaster. Matt Peart was still a backup, the team lost multiple linemen to retirement, they cut a few names, and then went on a spree adding other team’s linemen. Trading for Price was a useless move but giving up legitimate draft capital for Ben Bredeson has been a very underrated storyline that’s been an abject disaster all year. Bredeson has barely seen the field while healthy, he then got hurt, and he hasn’t looked any better since his return.

The Giants’ offensive line is again at the top, top, top of the list of why this season went off the rails. The line has shown some ability to pass protect but has absolutely no ability to get any movement or push in the run game whatsoever. As Dave Gettleman sips his tropical drink in Cape Cod this summer, his offensive line pieces will be the reason he’s no longer the GM of the NY Giants.