Kevin Zeitler

Falcons Land New York Giants Guard Jamon Brown In Free Agency

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The changes on the offensive line are continuing with the New York Giants, and just like everyone expected, offensive guard Jamon Brown is moving on and will sign a deal with the Atlanta Falcons. Brown joined the Giants after being picked up by waivers in the middle of the season from the Los Angeles Rams, but just because Brown was from the waiver wire didn’t mean that he wasn’t an impact player last season.

Brown helped to stabilize the offensive line play after joining the team at the end of October and becoming a starter in week 10, following the failure of the Patrick Omameh signing which did anything but live up to the expectations of fans and coaches alike. Brown would keep his spot as a starter until the end of the 2018 season, but joined the Giants in the last year of his contract and would not sign a new deal with the team.

Instead, the Giants made a move for Cleveland Browns guard Kevin Zeitler to play on the other side of Will Hernandez, who has become established as a starter after only one year. With the Giants replacing Brown with Zeitler, Brown is expected to sign a deal with the Atlanta Falcons according to WSB’s Zach Klein. The prospective deal would be for three years,

It looks like everyone wins in this situation. Brown was able to play a year for the Giants before getting a new deal elsewhere, and the Giants improved their offensive line in the second half of the 2018 season before trading for a higher rated guard. Will Zeitler outperform Brown? That remains to be seen, but in all likelihood, the answer should be yes.

New York Giants: Olivier Vernon’s Replacement Could Already Be On The Roster

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New York Giants, Lorenzo Carter

On Friday, the New York Giants made a big-time trade. The Giants traded edge defender Olivier Vernon to the Browns in exchange for guard Kevin Zeitler. The trade was a win-win for both teams.

The Giants made a major upgrade on their offensive line in this trade. However, the trade also left another giant hole in Big Blue’s defense. Many fans and analysts have been predicting who they think the Giants will sign or draft in order to replace Olivier Vernon.

The Giants will likely sign someone, but there is a talented, young player already on the Giants that most people seem to be forgetting about. In the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft, the Giants selected Lorenzo Carter.

Why Lorenzo Carter Might Breakout In 2019

Lorenzo Carter was a mid-round steal for the Giants in last year’s draft. He was tremendously talented, but he was also a raw prospect that needed time to develop. With his rookie season under his belt, Carter is primed to breakout in his sophomore season.

In his rookie season, Lorenzo showed a lot of potential. His play was limited because the Giants had Vernon, but in 2019, Carter should see more playing time. Carter only started in 2 games in 2018, but he played in 15.

Through those 15 games, Carter totaled 43 tackles and 7 tackles for loss. Carter was also good rushing the passer with 4 sacks and 10 quarterback hits. Considering his minimal playing time, Lorenzo Carter was highly efficient.

According to Pro Football Focus, Lorenzo Carter finished with an overall grade of 65.8. This grade ranked Carter as the 58th edge defender in the NFL, which is not bad for a rookie. On top of that, Carter’s grade was top 5 at his position amongst all rookies in 2018. Carter has the potential to surpass first and second round players with an expanded role in 2019.

Check out some Lorenzo Carter highlights below:

Athletic is an understatement when discussing Lorenzo Carter. He is a super-freak. At last year’s NFL Combine, Carter ran a speedy 4.50 forty-yard dash. That was the second fastest time out of all edge defenders in last year’s draft class.

Fans should not forget about Lorenzo Carter when discussing the Giants’ options on defense. Carter was one of the most hyped mid-round rookies heading into the 2018 season. He deserves even more hype in 2019.

After showing promise in 2018, Carter will have more opportunities in 2019. If he is able to capitalize on these opportunities, Carter will secure the starting edge job for the Giants. Carter, with a bit more consistency, could progress into an elite speed rusher.

New York Giants: Why New Guard Kevin Zeitler Is A Tremendous Acquisition

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New York Giants, Kevin Zeitler

As New York Giants fans know, general manager Dave Gettleman loves his “hog mollies.” On Friday, the Giants made a major trade. The Giants traded edge rusher Olivier Vernon to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for one of the NFL’s top offensive guards.

That hog molly was right guard Kevin Zeitler. The Browns were reportedly shopping Zeitler earlier in the week and even tried to send him to the Giants in exchange for Odell Beckham Jr. However, the Giants laughed at that offer and completed a much better trade on Friday.

What Makes Zeitler Such A Huge Upgrade?

Kevin Zeitler has been impressively durable and consistent. These are two traits the Giants have not seen from their most recent offensive guards for a few years now. Zeitler has started 72 straight games and has not missed a snap since week 13 of the 2015 NFL season.

On top of all this, Zeitler is arguably the best pass-blocking guard in the entire NFL. He finished with the league’s highest pass blocking grade (91.7) out of any guard in 2018 according to Pro Football Focus.

To compare Zeitler’s efficient play to that of the Giants’ 2018 offensive line: Zeitler let up 11 pressures all season while Jamon Brown and Patrick Omameh let up a combined 39. That is 28 plays that the Giants missed out on as Eli Manning was milliseconds from being smothered by a gargantuan defensive lineman.

Things should change now with Kevin Zeitler in the mix. His efficient pass-blocking will give Eli Manning more time to read the field.

Eli will not be the only one benefiting from this trade. Running back Saquon Barkley will benefit from playing behind Kevin Zeitler, too. While pass-blocking is his specialty, Zeitler is not a poor run-blocker.

Overall, Zeitler is an improvement on the Giants’ offensive line in every way possible. He is more durable than any other right guard and much more efficient in pass protection.

Rising star Will Hernandez will be looking to make progress in his second season. Expect the Giants to have one of the NFL’s best guard duos in 2019 with Will Hernandez and Kevin Zeitler.

Check out this highlight of Kevin Zeitler below:

New York Giants: Jon Halapio Signing Secures Center Position For 2019

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The New York Giants have been making moves on the offensive line lately, and the latest of those is bringing back center Jon Halapio for another season. Halapio was the one that won the starting job at the position last season and resulted in the trade of Brett Jones to the Minnesota Vikings, which fans would late regret once the season was underway.

Not because of poor performances from Halapio, but because Halapio suffered a season-ending leg injury very early in the season and the Giants were forced to make a change on the offensive line early on, hurting the blocking play.

Halapio was an exclusive rights free agent and is signing a new deal at the same time that the Giants are acquiring a new talent to play next to him, former Browns offensive guard Kevin Zeitler. Zeitler, who is 6’4″ and definitely looks the part as a physically imposing addition to an offensive line that desperately needs to improve if the team is going to have a turnaround season, was acquired in exchange for pass rusher Olivier Vernon, and will save the Giants a bit of money with the salary cap.

It’s easy to see Halapio taking back the starting job over Spencer Pulley, who started nine games last season after being claimed from waivers, and in that case he would likely be playing next to second year guard Will Hernandez and new addition Kevin Zeitler. With the Giants making a trade for a guard, it seems that last season’s trade acquisition at the position, Jamon Brown, is the odd one out and will walk in free agency rather than getting a new deal.

Time will tell if the offensive line improves. But things are shaping up well, and the Giants are getting back someone who should be at least a minor upgrade from last season’s starters at the position.