New York Giants 2023 UFA Primer: OL Nick Gates

Nick Gates fought his way back from a horrific broken leg injury two years ago. But does he still have a spot on the offensive line?

Nick Gates, Center

Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 318 lbs.
Age: 27
NFL Exp: 5 Years
College: Nebraska

If there’s one candidate on the New York Giants’ list of unrestricted free agents who deserves consideration for a new contract based solely on his story, it’s fifth-year center Nick Gates.

A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, Gates joined the Giants in May 2018 as an undrafted free agent signing out of the University of Nebraska. He played three seasons and appeared in 35 games for the Cornhuskers, earning numerous recognitions, including Third-Team All-Big Ten in 2016 and BTN All-Bowl Team in 2015.

In that span, he tallied 2,352 total snaps, with a slight edge in pass blocking, and was a fairly solid protector with two sacks, 14 hits, 53 hurried, and 69 total pressures allowed for a 97.0% career efficiency.

Upon signing with the Giants in 2018, Gates spent most of his first season on the injured reserve list and was limited to 291 snaps in the 2019 campaign. By his third year with New York, Gates had signed a two-year, $6.825 million contract extension and was named the team’s starting center. He played in a career-high 1,015 snaps (633 pass, 381 run), posting a 98.6% efficiency rating with no sacks and 16 pressures allowed.

The 2021 season would bring an unexpected and unknown twist to the 27-year-old’s career. In a 30-29 loss to Washington in Week 2, Gates suffered a brutal season-ending leg injury in the first quarter. His rehab process took several procedures to fix his left leg, and there were questions about whether he’d ever see the football field again.

Yet, a little over a year after the gruesome injury, Gates was activated off the PUP list in October 2022 and eventually returned to his role on the starting offensive line. He contributed snaps at both the left guard and center positions but even saw some reps as an inline tight end.

2022 Recap

Returning to the active roster on October 26th, 2022, when there was no guarantee he would don the shoulder pads again, Nick Gates still had a fairly clean performance on the offensive line by his standards.

Appearing in 368 snaps, the second-most of his NFL tenure, Gates allowed just one sack, two hits, and seven hurries for ten pressures in the pocket, resulting in a strong 97.4% efficiency rating. For a player with his rust and physical setbacks, Gates provided improved protection in the pass-blocking game with a 69.3 grade on Pro Football Focus (second highest) but struggled with the run blocking, which dipped to a career-low 59.0 rating.

In the penalty department, the 6’6”, 318-pound lineman cleaned up his act a little with just four infractions compared to his record eight achieved in the 2020 season. Cutting down the yellow flags thrown his direction has certainly been an improvement at the NFL level, where he hasn’t reached the consistency with calls against him that he suffered on the collegiate stage at Nebraska.

Gates’ best outing came in Week 12 against the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day when the veteran played in 64 snaps at center and succumbed to just one hit the entire contest to score a 98.6% efficiency rating along with a season-high 88.6 number in run blocking.

In Week 14 against Philadelphia, his overall blocking grades dropped a bit, but Gates held his own in 64 snaps against the league’s best pass rush, allowing one sack, hit, and hurry for a 95.3% efficiency rating.

Why the Giants Should Keep Him

The main thing Nick Gates offers the Giants with a new contract is familiarity and solid production on the front lines.

As a soon-to-be fifth-year player who’s seen his fair share of trials and tribulations in the trenches, Gates could serve as a valuable mentor to the younger offensive linemen at the very least. Particularly at the center position, where there’s a chance the Giants will use one of their draft picks in 2023 to secure a top prospect for their depth chart.

His numbers have come mostly from the center spot, but Gates showed this season that he is no stranger to versatility. The only year in which he played one position was 2020, with 1,014 snaps in the middle. The rest of his seasons saw snaps at guard, tackle, and inline tight end, including 213 and 21 in the latter two holes during the 2022 season.

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GIANTS UFA PRIMERS: QB Daniel Jones

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Why the Giants Shouldn’t Keep Him

The two biggest issues in keeping Gates for the 2023 season are his potential desires regarding how he is deployed on the field and the future of his health.

Given he was acclimated to the role before his injuries, Gates could return to the negotiating table and expect the Giants in search of a starting center spot on the offensive line next fall, something the team might not be willing to do.

Even if Gates remains healthy into the future with New York, there are concerns about his penalty woes over his career. Dating back to his days at Nebraska, the 27-year-old has been prone to drawing infractions in the interior, earning at least five per season with the Cornhuskers and 12 total at the NFL level.

While it may be a result of the carousel between positions he’s been put through by the Giants, this issue could become exacerbated by any physical decline in his technique as time goes on.

Most importantly, while his numbers have been pretty clear in protecting the quarterback, the Giants may still want to upgrade their offensive line with more talented and healthy studs this offseason.

One of their main goals is to continue developing their young assets and fortifying around them to ensure the rest of the offense has time to operate at the highest level. It’s hard to say with certainty that Gates could fit into that picture as a full-blown starter.

Keep or Dump?

With the Giants looking to strengthen their offensive line via the draft and potential free agent signings, it’s hard to see them devote focus starter’s money on a player of Nick Gates’ history.

The statistics show he’s been one of the sharpest center-guard combo blockers in the league over the past few seasons. However, like other positions, you don’t want to commit a more significant amount of money to a player that could decline with his prior injuries or miss further time because of them.

The market likely wouldn’t be friendly to Gates for starter’s money, but if the Giants can work out a cheaper deal to bring him back and serve as a depth player on the roster, it’s worth the minor investment and his consideration. It’s possible to see him a reserve player on the Giants’ depth chart next season; if he wants a starting job, then the two sides may agree to part ways.

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