Giants Country

New York Giants OL Greg Van Roten: The Good, The Great, and The Ugly

We examine the Giants' Week 9 game against the Las Vegas Raiders to get a good look at their latest signing, Greg Van Roten.

Gene Clemons

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.
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. / Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
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One of the big discussions before the start of New York Giants training camp has been surrounding the right tackle position. Evan Neal, projected to be the starter, is still not able to pass a physical some nearly nine months after season-ending ankle surgery. This has led to the team deciding to put Jermaine Eluemunor, who had worked at left guard all spring, at right tackle

Many believe that Eluemunor should retain the position heading into the season, regardless of what happens with Neal. That said, Eluemunor’s move to tackle opened a position open along the interior that needed to be filled, and the Giants filled it with someone whom offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo has familiarity from time spent with the Las Vegas Raiders: Greg Van Roten.

RELATED: Giants OL Greg Van Roten's Contract Details Revealed

What Van Roten provides the Giants with is insurance if Neal is unable to answer the call by the time the team suits up for Week 1. He may even buy the Giants and Neal more time for him to recover fully and continue working on refining his technique. 

Van Roten is the definition of a journeyman offensive lineman. Over his nine-year career he has played for six different teams and the Giants will become his seventh team this season when he suits up for them. 

Unlike many other journeymen, Van Roten has been a factor for the teams he’s played for. He's logged significant snaps for four teams. So what has made him a valuable addition to so many offensive lines. What better game to dissect than the New York Giants. 

Let's take a look at the good, the great, and the ugly of the recent addition along the offensive line. 

The Good: Close Quarters Pass Protection

As an offensive guard, many of the fights in pass protection happen in a small area. Flanked by the center and tackle it is not about protecting against the speed rush.

For most guards, their success as pass protectors comes down to three abilities: stopping defenders from shooting gaps, passing and receiving rushers on stunts, and withstanding bull rushes. 

In the Giants game he had to combat all those issues. There were not many line stunts to pick up in this game. He did a great job of sliding in front of a defender and not allowing them to get on his shoulder and penetrate the gap. 

He also took on the bull rush and while he did get pushed back, he was able to hold his own by dropping anchor and sitting down to stop the defender’s momentum.

The Great: Second Level Run Blocking

One of the best things about Van Roten is how he climbs to the second level for blocks in the run game.

When he locks in on a linebacker and attacks, he executes well. He has decent speed and good short area quickness which helps him work in the box. He has heavy hands and he rolls his hips well on contact so when he strikes, he leaves an impression. 

Against defensive linemen that punch will stop momentum. Against linebackers, that punch will displace them and create open areas for the running back. 

In the game against the Giants, he caught Bobby Okereke slipping on a few occasions. Now that he is a Giant this will hopefully be no display in screen passes in addition to the run game. 

The Ugly: Not Staying Connected To Blocks

Most times when offensive linemen block, it is not the initial contact that gets the job done. In most cases it is their ability to latch on to the defender and allow the ball carrier or quarterback the time to operate.

Staying connected on a block is essential to the success of a play. During a run that gains little to no yards usually you will see someone lose the connection on a block. This is usually due to poor technique. 

This is something that Van Roten struggled with in the game against the Giants. He would make good initial contact but not be able to sustain the block. Sometimes it was to the detriment of the play and other times it may have had little effect but the consistency of it happening means that it can happen at the most inopportune times. 

Coach’s Counsel

The Van Roten signing was definitely a good one and further bolsters the depth that they have on the offensive line. He has also played center with Buffalo and could provide a backup option there as well. It is a right now move which is why it is for such little money. 

The question becomes, do the Giants put him at right guard, which is where he played next to Eluemunor in Las Vegas, or at left guard, which is where Eluemunor was playing in New York. 

Either way this signing points to Evan Neal needing more time to recover from offseason surgery and might signal that he starts the regular season on the IR. However, it is still too early to be sure about that.

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Gene Clemons

GENE CLEMONS

Gene "Coach" Clemons has been involved with the game of football for 30 years as a player, coach, evaluator, and journalist.  Clemons has spent time writing for the Worcester Telegram and Gazette, Bridgton News, Urbana Daily Citizen, Macon Telegraph and footballgameplan.com.  He has a YouTube channel called "Coach Gene Clemons" where you can find his popular "X&O The Joes" series as well as other football related content. 

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