Welcome to the Giants.

[Nas]

Interesting tidbit for the NY Daily News:

 

“Well there were a lot of good offensive linemen in this draft,” Reese said. “Everybody predicted this would be an offensive line, big boy draft. It kind of held true to form. The big guys came off early.”

But not Pugh, who Reese insisted was the highest remaining player on the Giants’ draft board. According to several league sources, the Giants had hoped that either Alabama tackle D.J. Fluker or Alabama guard Chance Warmack would drop to them, but Warmack went 10th to the Tennessee Titans and Fluker went 11th to the San Diego Chargers.

The Giants were also high on Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro, who went 15th to the Saints, and LSU safety Eric Reid, whom the San Francisco 49ers traded up to get with the 18th pick, just before the Giants made their selection. The 49ers obviously were worried the Giants would take Reid.

But it appears they were always set on fortifying their offensive line.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/giants-pick-pocket-protector-pugh-article-1.1327879#ixzz2RabiNsSN

[Bigblue25]

As far as the whole trading down thing... San Francisco traded down right in front of us to take Eric Reid. I would think they'd rather trade to 19 than 18, unless they really thought the Cowboys would take Reid if they didn't get them out of the 18th pick, which is a possibility.

 

Anyway, I have a hard time believing the phone didn't ring given the number of trade ups I saw.

 

But I'm on board, begrudgingly. When that pick was there, you guys just don't know how I was envisioning Datone Jones on our defensive line, two big, physical beings at DE across from each other in Jones and JPP... that would have been unreal.

 

Datone Jones, no. Shariff Floyd was there, Shariff fucking Floyd. That's all I have to say

[Herc]

from bill barnwell's article today:

 

There weren't many trades. Rumors had up to a dozen trades in the first round, with teams going up and down to wait for their specific player. As it turned out, that trade volume mostly didn't exist, and just five trades were consummated during the opening round. In truth, there were plenty of teams that were interested in trades, but many of them wanted to move in the same direction: down. Because of the flat, relatively unimpressive player pool in this year's draft, just about everybody was trying to trade down for an extra pick or two, with very few teams willing to trade up. Everybody undoubtedly wanted to make that oft-rumored deal with the 49ers, which helped drive the price down for San Francisco and make the deal unpalatable for most other suitors in the process. It's one thing to want to trade down, but you wouldn't want to give up 12 spots in the first round for a spare third-rounder next year. Most teams eventually decided they would rather have the player of their choice than pick up some tiny sliver of trade value, and you can't really blame them considering this year's selection.

[Pizan]

My hopes are he's the next Max Unger. College tackle moved to Guard then finally Center where he's a top 5 player. He's not a tackle. I think he'll compete at LG immediately then eventually move to C but for now he's a top reserve.

[Allstarjim]

Not sure why everyone is trying to pigeon-hole Pugh as a Center. He's never played there, and if you take him at 19, the hope HAS to be he's going to develop into a star RT. But right now, he'd be great at Guard, and you are happy with that if that's where the early returns are. But not at a position he's never played... and most of this talk is probably due to David Baas, who is unfairly criticized by people who don't know what they are talking about in terms of evaluating his play... or have not even done so fairly.

 

Like Bleedin' said, when you are an OL, all anyone remembers are your mistakes. I believe the rare times Baas has made mistakes, people latch on to those and think he stinks. In reality, Baas grades out pretty well, maybe not stellar, but much better than what a lot of fans think. The problem with him is he got the big contract, but he just re-structured, so people need to give him a break.

 

I'm hoping Pugh is the RT of the future, and maybe James Brewer will be the guy for the future at one of the OG spots.

[BleedinBlue]

Not sure why everyone is trying to pigeon-hole Pugh as a Center. He's never played there, and if you take him at 19, the hope HAS to be he's going to develop into a star RT. But right now, he'd be great at Guard, and you are happy with that if that's where the early returns are. But not at a position he's never played... and most of this talk is probably due to David Baas, who is unfairly criticized by people who don't know what they are talking about in terms of evaluating his play... or have not even done so fairly.

 

Like Bleedin' said, when you are an OL, all anyone remembers are your mistakes. I believe the rare times Baas has made mistakes, people latch on to those and think he stinks. In reality, Baas grades out pretty well, maybe not stellar, but much better than what a lot of fans think. The problem with him is he got the big contract, but he just re-structured, so people need to give him a break.

 

I'm hoping Pugh is the RT of the future, and maybe James Brewer will be the guy for the future at one of the OG spots.

 

I agree...he's being slotted for RT and center is probably the last thing on their minds. He's played left tackle at Syracuse for years. Sure he can play guard too, but the way he shuffles and mirrors defensive backs makes him a good tackle. My bet is he'll be starting over Diehl by week 8. Might spell Snee now and then until then, but as soon as TC sees he's better than Diehl on the outside, Diehl will become the backup. But center??? no way.

[Allstarjim]

I hope Pugh is the Day 1 starter at RT. I really do.

[Bigblue25]

I hope Pugh is the Day 1 starter at RT. I really do.

 

See, one thing he lacks is power, which I way don't see a fit there

[Allstarjim]

See, one thing he lacks is power, which I way don't see a fit there

 

Well he's got from now until Week 1 to get some!

[BleedinBlue]

 

 

See, one thing he lacks is power, which I way don't see a fit there

 

Power is for guards to push or hold the line...tackles need to be more nimble and able to shuffle quickly staying in front of the defensive back doing everything in his power to get around you.

 

I saw Pugh play often over the past couple of years at Syracuse and he's a bull who faced a lot of ranked teams and stuffed their defensive ends as a left tackle - the tougher of the two tackle positions. Pugh is an excellent player and will be a tackle.

[Nas]

Not sure why everyone is trying to pigeon-hole Pugh as a Center. He's never played there, and if you take him at 19, the hope HAS to be he's going to develop into a star RT. But right now, he'd be great at Guard, and you are happy with that if that's where the early returns are. But not at a position he's never played... and most of this talk is probably due to David Baas, who is unfairly criticized by people who don't know what they are talking about in terms of evaluating his play... or have not even done so fairly.

 

Like Bleedin' said, when you are an OL, all anyone remembers are your mistakes. I believe the rare times Baas has made mistakes, people latch on to those and think he stinks. In reality, Baas grades out pretty well, maybe not stellar, but much better than what a lot of fans think. The problem with him is he got the big contract, but he just re-structured, so people need to give him a break.

 

I'm hoping Pugh is the RT of the future, and maybe James Brewer will be the guy for the future at one of the OG spots.

 

That's where I think he should be and will be... at RT... he has all the physical attributes (I don't give a fuck about short arms.. it's not like he has no arms.. sheesh). His footwork is impressive. When it comes to Center and Guards I look for shorter stockier guys.

[Nas]

See, one thing he lacks is power, which I way don't see a fit there

 

How old is the kid? 22? That's what training is for... I like him and I like his smarts and footwork. Sure none of us (certainly not me lol) picked him or was even on our radar but these guys do this for a living.

[Steitzenhaus]

Once I saw Fluker go off the board I was expecting a defensive player and with Floyd falling I thought that might be the play. Pugh does fill a need and if he's starting at guard or tackle week 1 i'll be feeling pretty good about it

[Bigblue25]

 

 

Power is for guards to push or hold the line...tackles need to be more nimble and able to shuffle quickly staying in front of the defensive back doing everything in his power to get around you.

 

I saw Pugh play often over the past couple of years at Syracuse and he's a bull who faced a lot of ranked teams and stuffed their defensive ends as a left tackle - the tougher of the two tackle positions. Pugh is an excellent player and will be a tackle.

Yeah honestly with his technique, he doesn't need it, and it's not he lacks any power, he gets his hands into the de's pads and is able to control the DE, pretty easily

Me and you, actually discussed wanting him Thursday morning, he still clears running lanes, he mirrors de's probably better then any OT in this class, he gets to the second level with ease, also adapt at pulling and trapping. He will end up better then Fluker. I am fine with the pick.

[BleedinBlue]

Nice writeup in the New York paper:

 

Doug Marrone is a New Yorker. He grew up in The Bronx as a hard-core New York sports fan. He bleeds Yankees pinstripes. He knows what New York sports fans want: Big names, star power and winning.

 

So Marrone understands why the Giants’ selection of Syracuse offensive tackle Justin Pugh on Thursday in the first round of the NFL Draft did not exactly send the Giants fans at Radio City Music Hall spilling onto Sixth Avenue into spontaneous celebration.

 

Marrone, the current Bills head coach and former Syracuse coach who recruited and coached Pugh for his entire collegiate career, knows this wasn’t the sexy, big-splash draft pick the draftniks crave.

 

But in an interview with The Post Thursday about the newest Giant, Marrone delivered this message for those Giants fans who might have been nonplussed by the pick: In Pugh, you just got a smart, tough, dependable, 10-year starter who can play every position on the offensive line.

 

“He’s just a lunch-pail, go-to-work type of player,’’ Marrone said.

 

If those words do not embody a New York Giants player, none do.

 

“He’s not what you call a ‘sexy’ pick, but he is just a tough kid who works extremely hard in practice and is very proud of what he does,’’ Marrone said. “He’s a very mentally-tough, tough kid and he’s smart. I’m not sure what position he’ll end up playing [for the Giants] but he can play all five positions on the line.

 

“Every single year he was at Syracuse, he’s been, in my opinion, the best lineman in our conference. He’s been a very productive player. I don’t know what other guy who will be drafted that can pay all five positions on the line as well as he can. You can put that kid anywhere and he’ll play well.’’

 

Pugh, who played left tackle for Syracuse, will likely be penciled in by the Giants as the favorite to start at right tackle, where David Diehl is now more suited to be a swing player as veteran depth.

 

Marrone is not merely a current NFL head coach who happened to coach Pugh at Syracuse. His background is the offensive line.

 

He was an offensive lineman at Syracuse. He was Herman Edwards’ offensive line coach with the Jets, for whom he converted Brandon Moore from a project defensive lineman into a Pro Bowl guard, and he had a hand in a number of other success stories. He was Sean Payton’s offensive line coach in New Orleans.

 

The point is, Marrone knows what a starting NFL offensive lineman looks like. So his glowing assessment of Pugh has to be more than encouraging to Giants fans and — more importantly — to Eli Manning.

 

When their 19th pick arrived on Thursday night, the Giants had a number of options to draft a player flashier than Pugh. Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert, a 6-foot-5 1/2 talent with wide-receiver skills, was available. So was controversial Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o, as well as the Georgia linebacker with freakish skills, Alec Ogletree, and Florida State defensive linemen Bjoern Werner and Tank Carradine.

 

Any of those players would have elicited a more excited reaction from Big Blue Nation. But no matter, Marrone said.

 

“For me, [Pugh] has all the intangibles I always look for,” Marrone said. “He’s versatile, tough, smart, plays hard, plays hurt and finishes.’’

 

Recalling the first time he saw a recruiting tape of Pugh playing high school ball in the Philadelphia area, Marrone said: “He was on our board and we put on a tape of him and I was like, ‘Who is this kid? We’ve got to go get him. He can run and hit.’

 

“I thought, ‘Is it me or is this kid not the real deal?’ He had freakish movement skills and great feet.’’

 

Marrone, who had Pugh red-shirt in his freshman year “because he was developing his body,’’ then watched him seize the starting left tackle job a sophomore and more than hold his own in practice against teammate Chandler Jones, who the Patriots drafted as a defensive lineman in the first round last year.

 

“When Chandler went to New England in the first round last year,’’ Marrone said, “I knew Justin was probably thinking about coming out [early] for the draft.’’

 

Now he’s a Giant, something that should excite Big Blue fans more than their lukewarm draft-night reaction suggests.

 

[Mr. P]

hahahha saw this over on bbi:

 

 

[Treehugger]