Giants' OL coach Pat Flaherty -- "I don't question the toughness"

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Former New York Giants center Shaun O'Hara caused a bit of a social media ruckus Thursday night by questioning the toughness of Giants offensive linemen who sat out practice on Thursday with a variety of injuries. On Friday, offensive line coach Pat Flaherty disagreed with his former player's assessment.

"That's one man's opinion," Flaherty said. "I don't question the toughness because I know what they're going through."

Erekc Flowers (hip flexor), Weston Richburg (knee tendinitis) and Geoff Schwartz (foot) missed practice. Will Beatty (torn pectoral) is also sidelined. Here is what O'Hara tweeted:

What the hell is going on! 3 @Giants OL sitting out today (4 if u count Beatty) after a day off on Tues. So much for that Toughness!

— Shaun O'Hara (@ShaunOHara60) August 6, 2015

"I don't know what Shaun's saying but maybe he's saying sometimes if you have a little bit of soreness you have to play through it, but that's different," Flaherty said. "These guys don't have that, they have an injury, that's why they're not practicing."

Flaherty said Marshall Newhouse remains the starting right tackle, although "we'll have other options."

Could one of those options be turning to the free agent market to supplement the group currently on the roster?

"We are talented enough," Flaherty said. "What I'm saying to you I've said to the offensive line in the room. If you're going to wonder if you're talented enough then please stand up and leave, OK, because you're wasting everybody's time."

More Flaherty

The veteran line coach was asked about several individual players. Let's go through what he had to say.

On Ereck Flowers missing time ...

"It's critical. It's nothing that you take lightly with a young player. A young player needs every snap he can get," Flaherty said.

"He's chomping at the bit. He's in my ear and I said listen you've gotta understand that we have the best training staff in the world. They're gonna put you out there when you're ready so you don't re-injure it. It's no good to get out there and then go back to square one."

On Geoff Schwartz recovery from a broken ankle ...

"I think when you have an injury such as Geoff had it's probably in your mind, hopefully it's in the back of your mind. Until it leaves your mind you're cautious of people around you. Are they gonna fall on me?," Flaherty said.

"It'll take some time for him to work it out, but he'll get it out. He's a guy that's played this game long enough. He'll get it out of his mind and really turn it loose."

On Adam Gettis, who has been working with the first team at left guard ...

"He was an unknown to me. There wasn't much tape, therefore I was observing him each and every day to see how he progressed. I like the way he's going right now. I like the way he competes. He's proven that he's gonna continue to work to stay around here and possibly start," Flaherty said.

On former CFL center Brett Jones ...

"He's developing each and every day. He's got more peaks than he does valleys," Flaherty said. "There's some things that he's getting accustomed to that I see that he's improved."

On Brandon Mosley ...

Mosley is playing almost exclusively at right tackle after being a guard in 2014.

"It's a little bit different out there at tackle in terms of the pass protection. He's getting a feel for that with his technique. He has some work to do," Flaherty said.