Big Blue View - Will Beatty Injury: Everything we knowYour place for year-round New York Giants discussion and informationhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47371/bigblueview_fave.png2015-05-21T12:02:56-04:00http://www.bigblueview.com/rss/stream/83968582015-05-21T12:02:56-04:002015-05-21T12:02:56-04:00Giants confirm 'successful' surgery for Beatty
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<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">New York Giants</a> left tackle <span>Will Beatty</span> underwent successful surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle Wednesday evening at Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan, the team announced in a statement on Thursday morning.<br> <br>Beatty suffered the injury during weight training on Tuesday. His expected recovery time is five to six months. A six-month recovery would put Beatty's return in late November, somewhere around two-thirds of the way through the Giants' 2015 schedule.</p>
<p>Beatty will almost certainly be placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. The PUP list allows players physically not ready to start training camp to sit out until cleared by a team's medical staff.</p>
<p>A player who remains on PUP for all of training camp and the preseason can be placed on the Reserve/PUP list when the regular season begins. These players are prevented from playing and practicing during the first six weeks of the season. A player on the Reserve PUP list does not count against the 53-man roster. If a player isn't activated after the sixth week, the team has a six-week window (day after Week 6 to day after Week 11) to make a decision to: a) place the player on injured reserve; b) release the player; or c) get him back to practice. As soon as the player returns to practice, the team has another three-week window to add the player back to the 53-man roster, or place them on the Injured Reserve list.</p>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2015/5/21/8636221/will-beatty-injury-update-surgery-ny-giants-term-surgery-successfulEd Valentine2015-05-21T09:27:58-04:002015-05-21T09:27:58-04:00Ereck Flowers Giants' best option at left tackle?
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<figcaption>Ereck Flowers | Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Left tackle of the future? How about left tackle of the present?</p> <p>After we learned of <a href="http://www.bigblueview.com/2015/5/20/8631609/report-will-beatty-tears-pectoral-muscle-out-5-6-months" target="_blank">the torn pectoral muscle</a> that will sideline <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">New York Giants</a> left tackle <span>Will Beatty</span> for 5-6 months, 'Rap' put together a look at a variety of options for <a href="http://www.bigblueview.com/2015/5/20/8631767/2015-ny-giants-will-beatty-injury-justin-pugh-ereck-flowers" target="_blank">how the Giants could potentially reconfigure their offensive line</a>. It is excellent work and you should read it if you haven't already. There is, however, one scenario 'Rap' didn't delve into, and it's one that has to be discussed because of the strong possibility is it ultimately what happens.</p>
<p>That scenario? Putting rookie <span>Ereck Flowers</span> at left tackle.</p>
<p>The Giants used the ninth overall pick on the 6-foot-6, 329-pound Flowers not only because they felt they needed another piece to complete their offensive line, but because they made it clear they felt he was a future left tackle.</p>
<p>"You would think he can play left tackle. He could play right tackle," GM Jerry Reese said after the Giants selected Flowers. "We project him as a really good football player, first, and where he ends up, that's up to our coaches."</p>
<p>Of course, Reese had also hoped that drafting Flowers would "settle the offensive line down." It likely would have, of course, until Beatty injured himself while reportedly working out at the Giants' Quest Diagnostics Training Center facility.</p>
<p>'Rap' mentioned a variety of scenarios on Wednesday that mentioned players like <span>Brandon Mosley</span>, <span>Eric Herman</span> and former CFL star lineman Brett Jones. Let's forget those for the time being. The task for those players, provided there aren't more injuries, is to simply make the roster.</p>
<p>Unless the Giants go out and sign a veteran free agent, the starting offensive line for the Giants (fingers crossed they are all healthy) is almost certainly going to be some combination of Flowers, <span>Justin Pugh</span>, <span>Geoff Schwartz</span>,<span>Weston Richburg</span> and John Jerry. The question is what will the configuration be? So, let's look at what the best, most natural positions are for each player.</p>
<p><b>Flowers</b> -- He has always played left tackle. In an ideal world, you wouldn't want a 21-year-old rookie with some acknowledged technique issues to iron out in pass protection to be your left tackle. With Beatty down for more than half the season and maybe the entire season, the world no longer is ideal for the Giants offensive line. In the current circumstance, perhaps it makes more sense to leave Flowers at a position he already knows rather than shuffle the deck further and make him learn either guard or right tackle.</p>
<p><b>Pugh</b> -- We know he played left tackle at Syracuse. He had some blips last season, but we know he can do the job at right tackle. We know many think that he remains better suited to play guard in the NFL. We also know that the position he is probably least suited for at the NFL level is left tackle. You could put him there, but that means you are then playing both Pugh and Flowers out of the positions they are best suited for.</p>
<p><b>Richburg</b> -- He played left guard last season out of necessity, to mixed results. It was better for him to play and learn than to sit and watch, but the results weren't always pretty. With a year of NFL experience, a year in an NFL weight training program and back at the center position he was drafted to play Richburg should be much-improved in 2015.</p>
<p><b>Jerry</b> -- I know, many of you are wrinkling your noses in disgust at the idea of Jerry starting again. He isn't a good run blocker, as his -16.3 run blocking grade from Pro Football Focus last season attests to. What he is, though, is a good pass blocker and a guy who has started 48 straight NFL games at right guard. He is a decent NFL player, the kind a team should be thankful to have in a situation like this. Jerry played a touch of left tackle for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thephinsider.com/">Miami Dolphins</a> way back in 2011, and a few snaps at right tackle in an emergency for the Giants last season. Clearly, though, the place he belongs is at right guard.</p>
<p><b>Schwartz</b> -- Throughout his six-year career, Schwartz has started games at right tackle and both guard spots. The position he has played most, and most effectively, is right guard. If Jerry is going to be one of the starters, though, it seems to make more sense to move the versatile Schwartz than to ask Jerry to move to a different position he isn't comfortable with or well-suited for. So, where does Schwartz go? Either left guard or right tackle, depending on what you want to do with Pugh and Flowers.</p>
<p>So, this leaves us with two potential configurations that seem to make sense.</p>
<p>The first is the most obvious.</p>
<p>LT -- Flowers; LG -- Schwartz; C -- Richburg; RG -- Jerry; RT -- Pugh</p>
<p>What happens, though, if the Giants -- despite not yet committing to the idea -- believe that Pugh is best-suited long-term to be a guard and decide that despite the Beatty injury it is in their best interest to go ahead and make that move? Then perhaps you wind up with this:</p>
<p>LT -- Flowers; LG -- Pugh; C -- Richburg; RG -- Jerry; RT -- Schwartz</p>
<p>The Flowers-Pugh-Richburg might well be the anchor of your Giants offensive line of the future.</p>
<p>Of course, we know that playing a rookie at left tackle is frought with risk. Look no farther than last year. <span>Jake Matthews</span>, the sixth overall pick by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Atlanta Falcons</a>, surrendered seven sacks, 44 hits or hurries and had the worst Pro Football Focus grade of any offensive tackle, a miserable -36.8. Second overall pick <span>Greg Robinson</span> was -24.1 at left tackle for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/st-louis-rams">St. Louis Rams</a>. On the flip side, <span>Taylor Lewan</span>, the 11th overall pick, was +2.2 for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.musiccitymiracles.com/">Tennessee Titans</a> and surrendered just four sacks.</p>
<p>Maybe someone like Mosley or Jones surprises and takes a job, or ends up with one by default if there are more injuries.</p>
<p>Maybe the Giants go out and sign a free-agent tackle like <span>Jake Long</span> (if his twice-torn ACL will hold up) or <span>Anthony Collins</span>, a seven-year veteran who really struggled in pass protection last season, surrendering only one sack but grading at -12.3 in 643 snaps.</p>
<p>Maybe the Giants add guard depth by signing a capable veteran like <span>Justin Blalock</span>, an eight-year starter for the Atlanta Falcons, or nine-year veteran <span>Rob Sims</span>, who started for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.prideofdetroit.com/">Detroit Lions</a> the past five seasons.</p>
<p>If they stand pat and go with what they have while they try and hold the fort and hope Beatty can make a late-season return the two configurations above seem like the most logical.</p>
<p>Your thoughts, Giants fans?</p>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2015/5/21/8633725/will-beatty-injury-ereck-flowers-ny-giants-offensive-line-justin-pugh-geoff-schwartz-john-jerryEd Valentine2015-05-20T17:56:24-04:002015-05-20T17:56:24-04:00Will Beatty Injury - How to revamp offensive line
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<figcaption>Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The New York Giants need to build a new starting offensive line.</p> <p>Tuesday, the <a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New York Giants</a> had a promising offensive line. <span>Justin Pugh</span>, <span>Weston Richburg</span>, and <span>Ereck Flowers</span> are young and talented, but it was <span>Will Beatty</span> who was the anchor for that line.</p>
<p>Now, the Giants, and Giants' fans, are reeling from the news that <a href="http://www.bigblueview.com/2015/5/20/8631609/report-will-beatty-tears-pectoral-muscle-out-5-6-months" target="_blank">Beatty will miss 5-6 months </a>as he recovers from surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle.</p>
<p>The feelings of despair are a testament to Beatty's abilities as both a run blocker and pass blocker. With the exception of the entire offensive line's generally woeful 2013, Beatty has been the Giants' best offensive lineman since he became the starting left tackle in 2011.</p>
<p>There is some good news, however. The Giants still have 80 percent of their anticipated starting offensive line available. While replacing Beatty will require some shuffling, <span>Geoff Schwartz</span>, Justin Pugh, Weston Richburg, and Ereck Flowers should make for a strong foundation.</p>
<p>Here are my thoughts on the Giants' options at this point. The most likely replacement for Beatty seems to be Justin Pugh. He played left tackle in college and his feet are at least as good as Beatty's. Pugh was widely believed to be slated for a move inside to guard after Ereck Flowers was drafted. Now it seems as though the Giants will need to find some new combinations.</p>
<h4>Option 1</h4>
<p><b>Geoff Schwartz to right guard, <span>John Jerry</span> to left guard</b></p>
<p>If the Giants elect to keep Ereck Flowers at right tackle, where he was expected to start prior to Beatty's injury, they will likely want to keep their most veteran offensive lineman next to him. This was the tactic they used in 2013 when they kept <span>David Diehl</span> at right guard, next to Justin Pugh.</p>
<p>This approach has several advantages. First and foremost, Schwartz and Flowers together is a massive and strong pairing that should provide some strong run blocking. Also, having the veteran Schwartz next to Flowers will help slow the game down for him.</p>
<p>On the other hand, while having a left side of Weston Richburg, John Jerry, and Justin Pugh should make for stout pass protection, the run blocking could leave something to be desired.</p>
<h4>Option 2</h4>
<p><b>Geoff Schwartz to right guard, <span>Brandon Mosley</span> to left guard</b></p>
<p>This combination offers many of the same benefits as the first option, however Brandon Mosley has been a much more capable run blocker than John Jerry in the limited action he has seen.</p>
<p>Despite being the starting right guard throughout the 2014 pre-season, Mosley seemed to fall out of favor after suffering a back injury and losing his starting job to John Jerry.</p>
<p><b>Wild Cards: </b><span>Eric Herman</span>, <span>Brett Jones</span></p>
<p>Eric Herman was the Giants' seventh-round draft pick in 2013. He is a powerful run blocker, known for his knockdown "pancake" blocks. He has had issues with his footwork since being drafted, but Beatty's injury could give him an opportunity to show that he has improved.</p>
<p>Brett Jones is a rookie in the NFL, but two years ago he was the CFL's rookie of the year, and the CFL's top lineman in 2014. In his brief time with the Giants, he has begun to gain renown for his intelligence and work ethic, and praise for his work on-field in OTAs. If Jones can make the adjustment to the NFL game, he could be a darkhorse to start at guard.</p>
<h4>Option 3</h4>
<p><b>Ereck Flowers to left guard, John Jerry or Brandon Mosley to right tackle</b></p>
<p>This is less than ideal, but if Flowers can't fix his technique issues enough to deal with NFL pass rushers by the start of the season the Giants may be forced to move him inside to guard. That, of course opens up the right tackle position. Both Mosley and Jerry have experience playing right tackle, and could be adequate next to Geoff Schwartz.</p>
<h4>Option 4</h4>
<p><b>Ereck Flowers to left guard, Giants sign <span>Jake Long</span> to play right tackle</b></p>
<p>This is pretty much the "Out Of Left Field" option, and you could probably sub in any number of free agent tackles for Long. When healthy, Long was one of the best offensive tackles in the league. However, after a pair of torn ACLs, his health is anything but a sure thing.</p>
<p>Long tore his ACL in week 8 of the 2014 season, so if the Giants were at all interested about bringing the former All Pro in, they will certainly need to do their due diligence on his recovery.</p>
<h4>Final Thoughts</h4>
<p>The loss of Beatty is a big one. Going simply by Pro Football Focus, Beatty scored a +13.0. The rest of the Giants' offensive line scored a -63.2.</p>
<p>However, the Giants have been investing in their offensive line of late. Justin Pugh seems like the natural back-up for Will Beatty, so the question then changes from replacing Beatty, to either finding a new starting offensive guard or right tackle.</p>
<p>How the Giants do that remains to be seen, but they aren't without options. They have said all along that they will start their best 5 offensive linemen, and they still will. It just won't be the five we thought we would see.</p>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2015/5/20/8631767/2015-ny-giants-will-beatty-injury-justin-pugh-ereck-flowersChris Pflum2015-05-20T16:07:46-04:002015-05-20T16:07:46-04:00Report: Will Beatty Tears Pectoral Muscle - Out 5-6 Months
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<p>The Giants could lose their starting left tackle for the 2015 season. </p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">New York Giants</a> sustained a serious blow today with the news that left tackle <span>Will Beatty</span> tore his pectoral muscle while lifting weights and will be out several months.</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Giants left tackle Will Beatty suffered what's believed to be a pectoral injury while lifting weights, sources say. Extent unclear.</p>
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeGarafolo/status/601098525800173568">May 20, 2015</a>
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<p>Further updates would later confirm that Beatty did indeed tear the muscle and that he immediately went in for surgery to get it repaired. Recovery time is estimated at<a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/giants-lt-beatty-surgery-5-6-months-source-article-1.2229692?utm_content=buffer7fe44&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=RVacchiano+Twitter" target="_blank"> 5-6 months</a>.</p>
<p>While Beatty largely gets forgotten when discussing the top linemen in the NFL, this could be a tremendous blow to the Giants' offense. Beatty has been the Giants' best offensive lineman since taking over at left tackle for <span>David Diehl</span> in 2011. Not only is he a very good pass protector, he is among the very best run blocking left tackles in the league.</p>
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<strong>More</strong>: <a href="http://www.bigblueview.com/2015/5/20/8631767/2015-ny-giants-will-beatty-injury-justin-pugh-ereck-flowers" target="_blank">'Rap' offers options for shuffling the line</a>
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<p>Of course, the Giants lost Beatty that year (2011) as well, when he suffered a detached retina in November. We will have to see where the Giants go from here.</p>
<p>Stay tuned for more updates and analysis as we learn more.</p>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2015/5/20/8631609/report-will-beatty-tears-pectoral-muscle-out-5-6-monthsChris Pflum