The New York Giants expressed early interest in former Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Eugene Monroe. First they tried to work out a trade for him, which fell through when they wanted to pay him based on starts rather than with guaranteed money, and now they are attempting to sign him as a free agent.
After saying that he would take his time in choosing a new team, a report surfaced on Friday that Monroe has turned down an offer from the Giants to play right tackle.
Report: Monroe unwilling to play right tackle https://t.co/8YCIRwVerg
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Cole mentions the Carolina Panthers as a possible landing spot for Monroe, and there have been reports that the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks are interested as well.
Analysis
It could be true that the Giants are out of the running, or this could be a play by Monroe's agent to strong-arm the Giants into a larger contract. The Panthers just re-signed Michael Oher to a contract extension, and the pay suggests they view him as a left tackle. The 49ers interest was called "preliminary" and there hasn't been any follow-up reports. The Seahawks have been consistently linked to Monroe after letting Russell Okung walk in free agency, however there is no guarantee that they don't like Garry Gilliam -- who they apparently felt enough confidence in to play left tackle that they signed J'Marcus Webb to start at right tackle.
This couldn't also be a ploy by Monroe's agent to try and get more money from the cap-rich Giants. That, in an of itself, is a chancy proposition. Jerry Reese and the Giants have proven time and again that they are willing to work with players, but they have their evaluation of the player's value to their organization and generally aren't bullied. If the Giants are Monroe's only true suitor, he needs to be careful to not over-play his hand -- there were reports that Bobby Hart did indeed see time with the first team offensive line during a walk-thru on the last day of OTAs, and offensive coordinator MIke Sullivan mentioned Hart's improvement over the offseason.