New York Giants: Top summer battle -- who gives Eli Manning the ball?

EAST RUTHERFORD, N. J. -- Even before quarterback Eli Manning gets the ball on every play, somebody else handles it. Big question going into training camp is, who will that somebody be?

So, when it comes to top position battle, the center of attention should be at center.

Given the struggles of the offensive line the last several seasons, it's not only imperative that the Giants figure out who their starting five members will be but that they also make sure that the center, or orchestrator of the line, is the right person for the job.

Last year, the Giants ended the season with Brett Jones, the CFL's 2014 "Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman" award winner, having stepped in for the injured Weston Richburg.

Interestingly, though, it was Jon Halapio, 6-foot-2, 320 pounds, who took the bulk of the spring-time reps with the starting offensive line. Head coach Pat Shurmur cautioned reporters to not read into anything regarding any depth chart decisions the coaching staff might have made, but it was still something of a surprise to see how quickly Halapio, who after spending a year and a quarter on the Giants practice squad, has risen up the depth chart at center considering his lack of experience at the spot.

Halapio moves well for a big man in getting to the second level and has shown an ability to establish an anchor. Jones also has a surprisingly solid anchor plus he has the advantage of having played meaningful regular-season snaps at the position where he didn't miss a beat in orchestrating the line calls.

Interestingly, the runner-up in this competition will be the first man off the bench in the event of an injury at guard or center, as both Jones and Halapio have experience playing those positions.