It hasn't been the easiest preseason for the Giants. A ton of injuries have made it hard for the team to develop any consistent rhythm on offense, stalled the battle for the middle linebacker job and obliterated the depth at quarterback. Nowhere have those injuries done more damage than on the offensive line, however.
The Giants entered camp with all five starters from last year back and the promising second-year man William Beatty knocking on the door at left tackle. The plan was to let Beatty get a lot of time at tackle with David Diehl seeing reps at both left tackle and left guard. Rich Seubert, the holdover at left guard, would also get a look, and the team would wind up starting whichever pairing wound up looking the best over the course of the preseason.
Seubert came down with an injury, though, and the Giants were stuck looking at just one option. The results haven't been very good, although it is hard to make too broad a judgment because they've also been missing Chris Snee at right guard and played the Steelers without Eli Manning. Seubert and Snee are back on the field and Manning will play against the Ravens, which means the Giants have to try and squeeze a lot of evaluation into that game or they'll have to play their starters more than the usual amount in the final preseason game.
However that plays out, the Giants also made another move which raises some concern about the state of their line. They signed Shawn Andrews, late of the Eagles, to a contract over the weekend. Andrews has made two Pro Bowls, but the fact that he's struggled with depression and serious back injuries over the last two seasons makes him either a dark horse to help the team or a desperate grab at someone who can provide some depth if catastrophe strikes with the starters.
Do the Giants have questions about Snee's fitness? Do they feel they need insurance if neither Beatty or Diehl can handle left tackle? What about Kareem McKenzie, the right tackle who has alternated between being seen as the weak link and an underrated blocker?
It's a lot of questions for this point at the preseason for a unit that needs stability to perform at optimal levels.
Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City and is a contributor to FanHouse.com and ProFootballTalk.com in addition to his duties for NBCNewYork.com. You can follow him on Twitter.
