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New York Giants Sign OL Matt Skura to Active Roster

The addition of Skura at center could be signaling a potential shakeup is coming on the Giants' offensive line?

Patricia Traina

New York Giants Sign OL Matt Skura to Active Roster
New York Giants Sign OL Matt Skura to Active Roster /

The New York Giants have signed center Matt Skura from their practice squad to their active roster, his agency confirmed.

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Skura, 6'3" and 310 pounds, played his college ball at Duke, where he briefly crossed paths with current Giants quarterback Daniel Jones. Skura played 2,028 snaps at center and 14 at right guard in four seasons at Duke, allowing 26 total quarterback pressures over his tenure.

An undrafted free agent signed by the Ravens in 2016, Skura spent the 2016 campaign on the Ravens' practice squad. He began 2017 on the Ravens practice squad but was soon elevated to the 53-man roster shortly after, where he started 12 games at right guard for an injured Marshall Yanda.

In 2018, Skura was moved to center following the departure of Ryan Jensen in free agency. Skura held the starting center role through the first 11 games of 2019 but suffered a knee injury Week 12.

The following year, he began training camp on the PUP list. He also landed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list late in the season. More recently, Skura was with the Dolphins but was released by the team on August 30.

Skura's presence on the roster supports the growing whispers that the Giants might be planning to move Nick Gates from center to guard in the wake of Shane Lemieux's knee injury. 

The Giants traded for center Billy Price, the Bengals' first-round pick in the 2018 draft, at the end of the summer. The addition of Skura gives them backup depth while reinforcing the idea that Gates, who did some work at guard late in training camp, might be on the move.

Lemieux suffered a partially torn patellar tendon early last month. He tried to treat the injury with rest and rehab. After appearing in 17 snaps for the Giants in the Week 1 opener, his knee didn't hold up, and he was relieved by former Ravens offensive lineman Ben Bredeson, also acquired via trade at the end of August.

Bredeson, who played in 44 snaps at left guard, participated in six practices with the Giants. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed two pressures in his Giants debut for a 96.9 pass-blocking efficiency rating.

It wasn't immediately clear if Skura's signing was a standard practice squad elevation for this week's game or a promotion. If it's the latter, the expectation is that Lemieux is headed to injured reserve, where he would have to spend a minimum of three weeks before being recalled if his injury allows for that.

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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