Mike Solari Encouraged By Ereck Flowers, Bobby Hart

Whenever the conversation turns to the New York Giants offensive line, it inevitably focuses on young tackles Ereck Flowers and Bobby Hart. Especially Flowers, the 2015 first-round pick. Thus, it is no surprise that when he was made available to the media on Wednesday offensive line coach Mike Solari was peppered with questions about those two players.

We know that Flowers and Hart spent much of their off-season working out at the Giants’ facility. Solari said they are ahead at this point because of the work they put in.

“They both were around, working out in the weight room. They were committed,” he said. “It's really good, you could see the difference in the sense of their condition and where they are right now at this point.”

Solari, a veteran offensive line coach in his second season with the Giants, said that it will really be impossible to know if either player has improved technique-wise until pads come on during training camp.

“Their technique has to be on the football field. The technique, for an offensive lineman, you have to have your pads on,” Solari said. “Until you could put the pads on, that when you'll really ascend as an offensive lineman.”

Solari was also asked how offensive linemen break bad habits, specifically the often-talked about technique issues that have plagued Flowers.

“Just like everything else, you work different drills, you work techniques, and you just keep honing in until you could make it where you don't have to think about it and its part of your toolkit,” Solari said. “The thing is, what we're excited about, and Ereck is excited about, so is Bobby and not just those two men, everybody. They are committed. Aaron Wellman did a beautiful job in the sense of where they need to improve on. Physically working in the weight room, conditioning aspect, you could tell the difference. I believe you could tell the difference, in the terms of their body types and where they're at physically at this time of the season. It's still early, so that's really encouraging.”

Here are more takeaways from Solari’s meeting with the media.

The Giants believe D.J. Fluker is best at guard ...

“We like him at guard. He's got experience at tackle, as we all know from Alabama, when he initially came into the league but his strengths are at guard. There will be a point, where we do want to rep him a little bit at tackle, just for versatility, so if he is not the starter, he is able to go to tackle in need. But guard is his strength and guard is where we like him.”

On the hand injury Weston Richburg played with in 2016 ...

“That hurts you; your hand placement, your ability to grab, ability to work the chest plate is a big part of the game. So that was tough for him, and he worked through it and he performed at the highest level that he could without being able to use that hand at full strength. But it would be a big difference this year.”

On where rookie Adam Bisnowaty fits best ...

“It's still early. Right now, we got him at right tackle, but he's a guy that could, he has versatility, he could go to guard. He has played a little guard in his career, obviously at left tackle, but right now, we like him at right tackle. Try to get him as many reps as possible, so when training camp comes, these young rookies are ready to compete.”