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Giants Make Decision on Starting Guards

But we'll have to wait until Sunday night to find out who they are.

Patricia Traina

Giants Make Decision on Starting Guards
Giants Make Decision on Starting Guards /
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After a summer filled with "competition" among the left and right guards, New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll admitted on Friday that a decision had been made regarding the two starters.

Predictably, however, Daboll didn't identify who the starting guards will be Sunday Night when the Giants host the Dallas Cowboys in the regular season opener.

"We'll just get out there and be ready to play, and the guys that will be out there will be ready to go," Daboll said on Friday before the team's practice.

The rotation had seen Ben Bredeson, last year's incumbent at left guard, and Mark Glowinski, the incumbent at right guard, flip sides at various points during training camp. Meanwhile, second-year man Joshua Ezeudu took a bunch of snaps at left guard.

Part of the reason for the rotation was to get the interior offensive linemen snaps at all the positions in the event of injury. But there was also a competition for the starting left guard spot, where it was believed the Giants would have liked for the more athletic Ezeudu to grab that spot.

Both Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka have said in the past that a consistent five-man offensive line is preferable, but neither ruled out a rotation. 

It is thought that the Giants will go with Bredeson at left guard and Glowinski at right, but whether that changes from week to week based on game plan strategy or performance remains to be seen. The Giants could, for example, go with the more athletic Ezeudu for games where they anticipate running more screens or needing a pulling guard. 

Ideally, the offensive line would have played out with Ezeudu and Glowinski as the starting guards and Bredeson as the backup to both spots and center. If that's the case, we'll have to see during Sunday night warmups.

  

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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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