Former Las Vegas Raider Offensive Lineman Visiting New York Giants

The New York Giants are bringing Greg Van Roten, who spent the 2023 NFL season with the Las Vegas Raiders, in for a free-agent visit.

Sep 17, 2023; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Las Vegas Raiders guard Greg Van Roten (70) blocks Buffalo Bills defensive tackle DaQuan Jones (92) for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) in the second quarter at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports / Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Giants are bringing free-agent guard Greg Van Roten in for a visit, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported and a source confirmed. 

In 2023, Van Roten started all 17 games for the Las Vegas Raiders, playing for Carmen Bricillo, who was hired as the Giants' offensive line coach this past offseason.

During the 2023 season, Van Roten allowed 21 pressures on 626 pass-blocking snaps, which, when compared to the guards the Giants put on the field last year, would have been the lowest amount of pressure allowed.  

Van Roten, ranked as the 11th best guard per Pro Football Focus, is obviously familiar with how Bricillo teaches his offensive linemen techniques. With the signings of Jon Runyan Jr. and Jermaine Eluemunor, the latter who also was with the Raiders last year, Van Roten would be a welcome addition to the depth along the interior of the offensive line.

The Giants' offensive line in 2023 received the worst pass-blocking grade and third-worst run-blocking grade in the NFL.

With camp quickly approaching, the Giants could be looking to add a veteran depth piece that could provide experience on the line while also pushing younger players to develop. 

Throughout his career, Van Roten has played snaps at both guard spots and at center. This is the kind of positional versatility that the Giants have actively sought in offensive linemen brought in for depth this offseason.

The potential addition of Van Roten also raises the question of whether projected starting right tackle Evan Neal, who has been recovering from season-ending ankle surgery, might not be ready to start training camp when the veterans report on Tuesday. 

Neal was limited to individual and walk-through drills in the spring before ultimately being shut down for the latter part of the OTAs and the mandatory minicamp. Head coach Brian Daboll said at the time that the goal in shutting down Neal in the spring was to ensure he’d be ready for the start of training camp.

If Neal begins the summer on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, Eluemunor is expected to move from left guard to right tackle, thereby leaving a hole where the current rostered candidates include Joshua Ezeudu, Aaron Stinnie, Austin Scholttman, and Marcus McKethan.  

The Packers originally signed Van Roten as an undrafted free agent out of Penn following the 2012 NFL draft. In addition to his one season with the Raiders last year, Van Roten’s earlier NFL stops included the Panthers, Jets, and Bills, and he had a stint with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL.

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