The New York Giants began the first three of a scheduled 10 organized team activities (OTAs) this week, the first look we’ve gotten at the team under new head coach John Harbaugh.
One aspect to focus on is players who are coming back from, or “managing,” injuries. Starting left tackle Andrew Thomas is in the latter group, and this week, he practiced just two of the three days.
The Giants are being very careful with Thomas, who has yet to play a full 17 games in a season. Last year, Thomas played in just 13 games and six the season before, mainly due to a Lisfranc fracture.
This year, Thomas hopes to be available for the full run. But for him to do that, he’s going to have to pick his spots on when to practice to be ready for game days. The Giants will make sure not to overuse him during the week.
“They have a nice ramp-up planned for me. Just a precautionary thing,” Thomas told reporters on Thursday after it was revealed that he was also nursing a previously undisclosed shoulder issue.
“Obviously, what we care about is September, being ready, so I’ve been trusting that… It’s definitely tough sometimes because I want to push it and I want to get better, but I’m trying to trust the process to make sure I’m ready to go when it counts.”
The Giants need Thomas, who, when he is on his game, is one of the best pass protectors in the NFL. The team made just one adjustment to the offensive line this offseason, albeit a big one. They selected Miami tough guy Francis Mauigoa to replace veteran Greg Van Roten at right guard.
Thomas said he was “very excited” to have three other linemen (guard Jon Runyan Jr., center John Michael Schmitz, and right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor) returning this season.
“Continuity is a huge thing for us up front. I thought we played decent last year. Added some more pieces. Brought a lot of guys back. So, I’m really excited for that,” he said.
One of the big pieces was Eluemunor, whom the Giants went back into free agency to retain for three more years at $39 million.
“Obviously glad to have him back. He’s a great player,” said Thomas. “We’re going to continue to push each other to be better.”
Thomas was asked about his impressions of Mauigoa, a tackle by trade, who the Giants selected No. 10 overall in the draft to play guard for them.
“Sisi has done great so far. He’s really smart. It’s kind of unique because normally when we bring young guys in, we’re teaching them the playbook. For us, we’re all kind of learning at the same time because we’re installing new things every day,” Thomas said. “Obviously has all the physical traits. That’s why he was drafted that high. So excited to see him get out there.”
The biggest change for Thomas, who is now one of the longest-tenured Giants, is the arrival of Harbaugh. Having a Super Bowl-winning coach running the show changes everyone’s perception and expectations. Things are much different in the building these days.
“First, I would just say the respect that he demands, you can just tell by the way everybody reacts to him, when they’re speaking to him,” Thomas said of his new coach. “I think he’s been there before, so there is a different confidence that he has that you can feel as a player.
“I would say first is just empowering us as players. Like a lot of our team meetings aren’t just about football in general. It’s just about life and we talk about principles and just how you approach every day as a man. I think that reflects the character of the team when we take that as a priority.
His reputation speaks for itself. A true ball coach, so I was excited that he’s going to come here and hopefully get things going in the right direction. So, it’s early right now. I like what he’s doing so far. We just have to continue to trust the process and approach every day to get better.”
The offensive line won’t just be better, it will be more physical, and general manager Joe Schoen and Harbaugh have brought in a slew of depth players that fit that mold. Thomas is all in.
“(Harbaugh) called me when he first signed, and we spoke about the offensive line and the identity of the offense that we want to have, and being physically dominant up front, and that I would be a big catalyst for that,” Thomas said. “I’m excited for that pressure. I’m going to lead those guys and be a great, dominating unit. So, we just got to continue to work to reach that.”
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Andrew Thomas is ready to lead Giants’ new physical offensive line
Reporting by John Fennelly, Giants Wire / Giants Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
