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Free-Agent Setup: Giants hope to keep OL together

By The Sports Xchange
The New York Giant are aiming to return to relevance under new coach Pat Shurmur. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
The New York Giant are aiming to return to relevance under new coach Pat Shurmur. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

It wasn't all that long ago that New York Giants Justin Pugh and Weston Richburg were thought to be two pieces of the offensive line's foundation. These days, however, the future of both offensive linemen being part of the 2018 team doesn't look promising.

Pugh, the Giants' first-round draft pick in 2013, is looking to cash in on his versatility and his mostly solid play tucked in between games missed due to injuries that have kept him from completing a 16-game season since his rookie year. Richburg, their second-round pick in 2014, seemed to lose his job to Brett Jones, a restricted free agent who is expected to be tendered.

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With the Giants already short on salary-cap space - they are currently projected to have about $27.5 million -- the odds of Pugh getting the franchise tag are slim to none, especially if the Giants pursue Panthers pending unrestricted free-agent guard Andrew Norwell, whom Giants general manager Dave Gettleman signed as an undrafted free agent during his time in Carolina.

Unit-by-unit depth chart as of Super Bowl LII. Injured players listed as starters if that was their status when injured.

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*Asterisk indicates player ended 2017 season on injured reserve.

QUARTERBACKS (C): Starter - Eli Manning. Backups - Geno Smith (UFA), Davis Webb.

RUNNING BACKS (B): Starter - Orleans Darkwa (UFA). Backups - Wayne Gallman, Shane Vereen (UFA), Paul Perkins, FB Shane Smith.

TIGHT ENDS (B-plus): Starter - Evan Engram. Backups - Rhett Ellison, Jerell Adams, Ryan O'Malley.

WIDE RECEIVERS (D): Starters - *Odell Beckham Jr., *Brandon Marshall, Sterling Shepard. Backups - *Dwayne Harris, Roger Lewis, *Tavarres King (UFA), *Darius Powe, *Keeon Johnson, Travis Rudolph, Kalif Raymond, Hunter Sharp.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (C): Starters - LT Ereck Flowers, LG *Justin Pugh (UFA), C *Weston Richburg (UFA), RG John Jerry, RT Chad Wheeler. Backups - C Brett Jones, G/T *D.J. Fluker (UFA), G/T Adam Bisnowaty, G/T Damian Mama, G John Greco, G/C Jon Halapio, G/C Nick Becton (UFA), OL *Jessamen Dunker, T *Bobby Hart (subsequently released).

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (C): Starters - LDE Jason Pierre-Paul, DLE Dalvin Tomlinson, NT Damon Harrison, RDE Olivier Vernon. Backups - DE Romeo Okwara, DE Avery Moss, DE Kerry Wynn (UFA), DE *Ishaq Williams (subsequently released), DT Jay Bromley (UFA), DT Robert Thomas, DT *Josh Banks.

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LINEBACKERS (F): Starters - WLB *Jonathan Casillas (UFA), MLB *B.J. Goodson, SLB Devon Kennard (UFA). Backups - OLB *Keenan Robinson (UFA), MLB Kelvin Sheppard (UFA), MLB Calvin Munson, OLB Akeem Ayers (UFA), OLB Ray-Ray Armstrong, OLB *Mark Herzlich (UFA), OLB *Deontae Skinner (subsequently released), MLB *Curtis Grant.

DEFENSIVE BACKS (C-minus): Starters - LCB *Janoris Jenkins, RCB *Eli Apple, SS *Landon Collins, FS Darian Thompson. Backups - CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB Ross Cockrell (UFA), CB Darryl Morris (UFA), CB Brandon Dixon, CB *Donte Deayon, S Nat Berhe (UFA), S Andrew Adams, S Ryan Murphy.

SPECIAL TEAMS (F): K Aldrick Rosas, P Brad Wing, KOR/PR *Dwayne Harris, LS Zak DeOssie.

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