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Who do so many New York Giants fans continue to beat the drum for the Giants to move Justin Pugh back to one of the tackle spots?
I’m a nice guy, despite the fact that some folks think my answers to questions — especially on Twitter — can be snotty sometimes. They’re probably right. My frustration seeps through on occasion, I know that.
Anyway, nice guy that I am I figured I would spend part of my “Snowpocalypse Day,” the part not spent keeping up with NFL free agency or trying in vain to keep up with clearing the onslaught of snow from my property, having a little Giants chat on Twitter.
That quickly devolved into a “move Pugh to tackle” debate. Unfortunately. Here is how it started:
@bigblueview with Fluker and Jerry both signed as guards, any chance Pugh moves back to RT? Line as: Flowers, Fluker, Richburg, Jerry, Pugh?
— Rich Kupka (@ReeseysDaddy) March 14, 2017
Let’s never mind the idea of moving D.J. Fluker to left guard, a position he has never played. Let’s talk about Pugh.
I understand that he played right tackle his first two years in the league. Truth is, though, he was adequate at best. He gave up 7.5 sacks as a second-year player in 2014. His Pro Football Focus scores in two years at guard (76.8 and 77.3) aren’t awful, but his scores at guard (86.7 and 83.2) are better.
Pugh, before being injured last season, was the Giants’ best offensive lineman. I fail to understand why there is a belief in some quarters that taking a player who is one of the best guards in the league and moving him to tackle, where he is mediocre, would make the Giants’ offensive line better.
The best thing about the Giants’ offensive line is the combination of Pugh and center Weston Richburg playing next to each other.
Some fans, maybe a majority, do understand:
@bigblueview why do people wanna see Pugh moved to LT. He's a very good LG just fix LT instead of messing up the one good thing on the oline
— MOOSE 74 (@marcus3255) March 14, 2017
That’s the ticket right there. Leave Pugh right where he is. Coaching is all about putting players in position to succeed. At left guard, the Giants have found a spot where Pugh succeeds.
Don’t mess with that. Just do the best you can to fix what is around him.
That is what the Giants appear to be doing, and that — in my view — is the right approach.
We also discussed Pugh, and several other topics, on the latest Big Blue Chat podcast.