Getty Images J.C. Hassenauer has stops with the Steelers and the AAF. Up next: Playing center for the Giants?
The New York Giants have someone to snap the football.
Big Blue has agreed to terms with three-year veteran J.C. Hassenauer, filling a big need on its offensive line and providing quarterback Daniel Jones with a center who could be his batterymate.
SKOR North’s Darren Wolfson first reported the move, which was later confirmed by the team.
Reports: We have agreed to terms with OL J.C. Hassenauer
Details: t.co/RReFb3XtZJ
Hassenauer, 27, joins the Giants after three seasons as a Pittsburgh Steelers reserve. The 6-foot-2, 295 pound blocker also has stops with the Atlanta Falcons (2018) and Birmingham Iron (2019) of the Alliance of American Football.
He has five career starts at center and two career starts at left guard in 45 game appearances, according to the Giants’ official team website.
That versatility is a big plus to New York. Both Jon Feliciano and Nick Gates departed in free agency this offseason, leaving Jones without a center from 2022’s playoff run.
Hassenauer could be part of the solution at that key spot. Here’s what else you need to know about the Giants’ latest signing and where he fits in.
J.C. Hassenauer Proved Something to Giants Coach Brian Daboll
Giants coach Brian Daboll knows what he’s getting in his new center.
The two crossed paths at Alabama, where Daboll was the offensive coordinator and Hassenauer attended as the No. 1 center in 247 Sports’ 2014 recruiting class.
Hassenauer never cracked the Crimson Tide’s starting lineup for three years in Tuscaloosa. He entered his senior season as the No. 2 center, according to TribLive’s Chris Adamski. But the Minnesota native told Adamski he kept preparing to play “because you never know when your name is going to be called.”
It was prophetic; Daboll needed Hassenauer to start on the biggest stage — the National Championship Game — in 2018 against Georgia.
The results? No sacks or pressures allowed, no penalties called, and another Alabama title. Even Tide Athletics graded his performance as the best one on its offensive line that day.
“We have a ‘next man up’ mentality here,” Hassenauer told The Crimson White. “We all preach it. It’s definitely a blessing that they all trust me. The coaches trust met to play all of those positions.”
Where J.C. Hassenauer Fits In on the Giants’ Line
Count Daboll among the coaches who must still trust Hassenauer.
Five years after that title game, Big Blue’s coach is turning back to his dependable center. And Hassenauer could very well be the “next man up” for Daboll’s offense in its second year.
Guard Ben Bredeson is the only other Giants lineman listed at center, according to Ourlads. General manager Joe Schoen threw two more listed guards — Jack Anderson and Shane Lemieux — in the mix when he spoke to reporters at the NFL League Meetings in Phoenix.
“We don’t play until September,” Schoen said on March 28. “We’re in (training) camp in August, so we still have time. Guys may be cut post draft. There will be cap casualties. We’ll be patient and we’ll continue to look, but we have confidence in Ben Bredeson, Jack Anderson and Shane that they can snap the ball and play center for us.”
Consider Hassenauer as more experienced insurance for Schoen’s roster.
The Giants can add more free agent center help, like former Titans center Ben Jones. Minnesota’s John Michael Schmitz and Wisconsin’s Joe Tippmann are viable options in the upcoming NFL draft, too.