Getty The New York Giants are brining back a familiar offensive lineman, despite Justin Pugh impressing in Week 6.
The New York Giants aren’t done finding help for a beleaguered offensive line. Aside from adding Justin Pugh and trying out La’el Collins, the Giants are bringing back versatile Tyre Phillips.
He’ll join the practice squad, after being signed away from NFC East rivals the Philadelphia Eagles, according to Dan Duggan of the Athletic. Duggan also noted, “it was hard to understand why Phillips was cut after camp and even harder to understand why he wasn’t brought back sooner.”
A reunion: The Giants are signing OL Tyre Phillips from the Eagles’ practice squad, per source.
It was hard to understand why Phillips was cut after camp and even harder to understand why he wasn’t brought back sooner. But with injuries continuing to mount on the O-line (Josh…
This isn’t the only move the Giants have made to shake things up in the trenches. They also acquired tackle Josh Miles from the practice squad of the Atlanta Falcons, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
The #Giants are signing OT Josh Miles off the #Falcons’ practice squad, sources say. Miles was a seventh-round pick of the #AZCardinals and appeared in 17 games over three seasons with them.
Phillips being able to slot in at guard or tackle will give the Giants options. Line coach Bobby Johnson needs those options with key starters like left tackle Andrew Thomas and rookie center John Michael Schmitz on the shelf.
The Giants’ injury woes up front got worse in Week 6, when backup tackle Joshua Ezeudu left the 14-9 defeat to the Buffalo Bills due to a toe problem. Ezeudu subsequently landed on injured reserve, per Michael Eisen of Giants.com.
Fortunately, Pugh filled in admirably on the blindside, but his future could now be in jeopardy after this latest flurry of moves.
Giants Finally Correct Costly Tyre Phillips Mistake
Ditching Phillips in the offseason drew the ire of several critics, who pointed to the lack of a coherent plan to replace Thomas. If there were reasons for Phillips’ dismissal, the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy revealed, “I heard that he regressed into some old bad habits on the practice field (nothing off the field) that he had cleaned up last season with Giants after he was cut by Ravens.”
Nonetheless, those critical of letting Phillips go were endorsed when Ezeudu struggled mightily on the left. Although some believe Ezeudu’s best fit is still at tackle, the Giants were smart to move quickly and cover his absence with a familiar face.
Phillips was active at multiple positions last season, with Nick Falato of SB Nation’s Big Blue View outlining where he took his snaps.
Not exactly sure why the #Giants and Tyre Phillips parted ways after the versatile OL was solid in lieu of Evan Neal last year
But, according to @DDuggan21, and perhaps others, the Giants signed Tyre Phillips off the Eagles’ practice squad.
Phillips played 365 snaps for the…
Earning most of his playing time at right tackle is significant, given how Evan Neal has continued to struggle. The seventh player taken in the 2022 NFL draft has allowed a sack, 29 pressures and given up four penalties, per Pro Football Reference.
Phillips could fill in again on the right and allow Neal to slide inside to guard. That plan would likely end any hopes of signing Collins, despite the former Dallas Cowboys’ starter having a workout.
It’s also possible signing Phillips could mean Neal moving over to left tackle, where he played some of his college football for Alabama. This scenario will largely depend on when Thomas can return from a lingering hamstring injury, along with how the Giants intend to use Pugh.
Justin Pugh’s Future Now a Mystery
Pugh was understandably rusty at times against the Bills, but the 33-year-old eventually turned in an exceptional performance at Orchard Park. He hadn’t played left tackle since 2015, but the former first-round pick surely gave the Giants something to think about regarding his future.
The leverage still belongs to the Giants, with Dunleavy detailing how “any team can sign him (Pugh) if Giants don’t match contract.” Pugh’s back on the practice squad, but “the Giants have two more elevations to the roster they can use on him, though he would surely be interested in a permanent spot on the 53,” per Garafolo.
Justin Pugh remains on the practice squad for now. The #Giants have two more elevations to the roster they can use on him, though he would surely be interested in a permanent spot on the 53 just a short while removed from the couch. We’ll see what happens there.
Adding Phillips and Miles could just be the Giants keeping all choices on the table. It gets more complicated when the team will need to create a roster spot to accommodate whichever versatile backup is kept around.
Pugh might have thought he’d done enough to stick, but these moves add uncertainty to his immediate future.