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Peter Solari Follow @4PeteSakeNY
It looks like the Giants have some company in their pursuit of former Ravens tackle Eugene Monroe. As reported earlier, New York, Seattle, and San Diego were all considered potential landing spots for the 29-year-old former first round pick, and The Score's Dan Wilkins says you can add San Francisco to that list as well.
But don't get excited yet, Giants fans. That same report goes on to say, "Though it's unclear whether interested teams would envision a position change, he's thought to be in search of a situation that will allow him to remain at left tackle."
If the previous statement is accurate, it's hard to envision New York as the frontrunner to land Monroe. The Giants could definitely use an upgrade at right tackle, but if Monroe is to be protecting Eli Manning's blind side in 2016, then last year's #1 pick Ereck Flowers, a player the team envisions anchoring their o-line for years to come, will have to move to the right side. That may not be something Big Blue wants to explore doing right now.
Monroe's great appeal to the Giants is their ability to sign him cheap. He hasn't played a full season since 2012, and isn't in a position to command big money from anybody. However, bringing Monroe in still represents a risk to the Giants. There's no guarantee he'll be able to stay on the field, and even if he does, he's hardly lived up to the hype of a top-10 pick when he's been healthy. Is one unproductive year, or less even, worth interrupting the development of the team's future left tackle? The team will have to decide.
On a side not, Monroe's now ex-coach John Harbaugh has answered his former tackle's recent accusation that he was being run out of Baltimore due to his advocacy for legalizing medical marijuana in the NFL. On Thursday, Harbaugh told reporters Monroe's release had nothing to do with marijuana, saying, "Football circumstances changed from the end of the season until now. 100 percent football circumstances. That's all it ever was. It's no reflection on Eugene Monroe in any way."
Interestingly, the Giants don't seem to be fazed at all by Monroe's marijuana advocacy, but they've haven't been fond of players linked to drugs in their recent past. In 2014, they were forced to cut promising young safety Will Hill for repeatedly violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. Ironically, Hill landed on his feet with the Ravens. More recently, the Giants, and 11 other teams, passed on offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, considered the best player in the most recent NFL Draft, after video of him smoking weed surfaced on social media.
Interestingly, the Giants don't seem to be fazed at all by Monroe's marijuana advocacy, but they've haven't been fond of players linked to drugs in their recent past. In 2014, they were forced to cut promising young safety Will Hill for repeatedly violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. Ironically, Hill landed on his feet with the Ravens. More recently, the Giants, and 11 other teams, passed on offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, considered the best player in the most recent NFL Draft, after video of him smoking weed surfaced on social media.
