New York Giants among teams who are 'lurking' in the guard market
New York Giants among teams who are 'lurking' in the guard market
The New York Giants will enter free agency looking to address multiple positions. Most notably, they need a starting quarterback and cornerback, which will command most of their attention.
However, other important needs can not be ignored. One of those comes at right guard, which is expected to be vacated once veteran Greg Van Roten hits free agency.
"Right guard is a spot that's open, and we'll talk about is the answer somebody on the roster or do we need to look outside for that," Schoen said at the 2025 NFL Combine.
The Giants remain reluctant to move Evan Neal inside to guard and even if they did, there are no assurances he'd be of starting quality. For that reason, Schoen and the team are already "lurking" around the free agent guard market, reports Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
Guards dominated free agency last year and will do well once again. The Giants, Cardinals and Seahawks are lurking in this market, too.
Fowler mentions Drew Dalman (Chicago Bears), Aaron Banks (San Francisco 49ers), and Will Fries (Indianapolis Colts) as names to watch and expects them all to draw sizable contracts.
Although Schoen left the door open for an internal solution, it's a near-certainty that the Giants will sign one of the top guards on the free agent market.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
4 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
As some seek to make Pride divisive, Giants sustain commitment to LGBT community
Going back to their original 'Until There's a Cure' Day in 1994, the San Francisco Giants have a long history of supporting the local LGBTQ+ community, and their annual Pride game is a staple of the schedule each June. In most years, Saturday's game wouldn't be all that newsworthy; it's just one of many days celebrating different groups that help make up the team's fan base, including numerous ethnic heritage nights, faith days and veterans events. This year, however, in an atmosphere of scrubbed diversity programs and canceled corporate sponsorship for Pride celebrations, the Giants' Pride Day is back and bigger than ever, with the proceedings now encompassing the Mission Rock side of McCovey Cove. From 10-11:45 a.m., the Giants will hold 'Pregame in the Park' at China Basin Park, with music by DJ Livv, drag performances hosted by Bobby Friday and Mercedez Munro, face painting, Story Time with Drag Queens and treats from Castro staple Hot Cookie. At 11:45 p.m., fans can parade together to Oracle Park for the pregame festivities and game. 'We're extending the party out,' said Roscoe Mapps, the Giants' chief diversity and inclusion officer. 'This will allow many more people to attend and opens it up to the neighborhood and more of the community.' San Francisco has been in the crosshairs in recent weeks, from President Donald Trump's suggestions about reopening Alcatraz as a prison, to threats of withdrawing funding to the state because of a transgender athlete competing at the state high school track championships, to plans to remove Harvey Milk's name from a John Lewis-class U.S. Navy ship. SF Pride and the Frameline film festival have lost sponsors and struggled to find new ones. 'Every heritage and culture night is pretty exciting and matters to all of us,' Mapps said. 'That said, I think this year does carry a different kind of gravity — it's very overt that the community is being told that they don't belong and that there are actions that are trying to erase members of the community. 'It's not very subtle. It's certainly not harmless. So we want to make sure that there is no question about Oracle Park, we want to make sure when fans come in cheering the Giants, they feel safe, they feel seen, they feel like it's home, like it's always been since 2000 — so fans can feel like themselves and feel a sense of community that day. It's just a reflection of who we are and our values.' The Giants will give away a Pride Day bucket hat to the first 15,000 fans Saturday, and the players will wear the same Pride hat they did last season; no Giants player ever has refused to wear Pride gear, though last year infielder Nick Ahmed added a bible verse to his hat after briefly considering not wearing it. 'It wasn't anything about judging anyone else for their beliefs or what they do,' Ahmed told the Chronicle, adding that he had just wanted to prompt a conversation about faith. There are no plans for extra security measures Saturday, according to the Giants, and Mapps said the team has not received any pushback about the event, nor have any sponsors dropped out. There have been rumblings that some other pro sports teams might modify or even do away with their Pride events, but to date no MLB teams have announced any changes to Pride games. Every team but the Rangers schedules a Pride Day. This year's Pride month is additionally meaningful for many around baseball. In past years MLB's ambassador for inclusion, Billy Bean, attended as many of the Pride games as possible, but in August, Bean, a former Dodgers outfielder, died of acute myeloid leukemia at the age of 60. 'This year feels a little different,' Mapps said. 'It's our first Pride season, all of us, without him, and few people understood better than Billy how powerful it is to have visibility. He certainly knew the power of people hearing his story and meeting a queer athlete and MLB executive. 'I think the weight is carrying the torch for some of us, making sure that we do it right, and that we continue to make sure that not just LGBTQIA fans feel comfortable, but that LGBTQIA kids feel comfortable playing baseball as well.' Gates will open at 11:05 a.m. for Saturday's game against the Braves and pregame festivities will start at 12:40 p.m., including the addition of the Seattle Mariners' Pride Ball, hand-stitched using rainbow thread to symbolize the way baseball brings communities together, according to the Giants. The ball, used for the first pitch at Safeco Field on Wednesday, is traveling to ballparks across the country throughout Pride Month. In addition, a special Giants' Pride flag will be unfurled in center field. There are Pride food and beverage items as well, including a souvenir Fastball cocktail at the Skyline Bar and Murph's Pub, rainbow popcorn at concessions near Section 103 and 140, and a Pride souvenir soda cup at all concessions with fountain soda. There are also four new Pride merchandise items available at the team store.
San Francisco Chronicle
4 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Giants will give slumping Willy Adames a day off, spiking shortstop's hope to play 162
Willy Adames wanted to play all 162 games this season after signing a seven-year, $182 million deal with the San Francisco Giants before this season, but he's getting at least one day off, it turns out. Manager Bob Melvin said that Adames, who entered play Friday batting .198, will get Sunday off, which combined with Monday's off day means he'll have two days to relax a bit following his rough start. Adames played 161 games with the Brewers last year as he enjoyed a terrific season, batting .251 with 32 homers and 112 RBIs. Going into Friday night's game against the Braves, he has a .288 on-base percentage and has made 10 errors, tied for most among big-league shortstops. Casey Schmitt is likely to get the start at shortstop Sunday; Melvin said the utility infielder was scheduled to take grounders at the spot Friday and Saturday. Tyler Fitzgerald can play shortstop, but the Giants like leaving him at second base, his new position. More For You How the Giants' social media team, online sports space trailblazers, keep and grow audience As some seek to make Pride divisive, Giants sustain commitment to LGBT community Adames went hitless in the four-game series against the Padres, and he was batting .102 with 19 strikeouts in his previous 18 games going into Friday. His .124 average against left-handed starters is the lowest among players with at least 70 plate appearances. Verlander update: Justin Verlander, who is out with a pectoral muscle strain, threw to hitters Friday, and if he feels great coming out of the activity, there is some chance he could hop back into the rotation the next time his turn comes up. That would be Tuesday in Denver against the Rockies. It's more likely, though, that Kyle Harrison gets one more start in Verlander's spot. Harrison took a liner off his arm Wednesday but he's doing well, Melvin said. Eldridge slam: Top prospect Bryce Eldridge, promoted to Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday, hit a grand slam at Sugar Land, Texas, on Thursday. Melvin said that Double-A Richmond can be a tougher place to hit than the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. 'Typically, in the PCL, you put up some numbers, and it wouldn't surprise me if he put up some really good numbers at this point' at Sacramento, Melvin said. Eldridge is likely to join the Giants sooner than later if he hits consistently with the River Cats.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
New York Giants brass impressed with Evan Neal as he transitions to guard
Former New York Giants first-round pick Evan Neal is making a position switch this summer from offensive tackle to guard. It's not a natural progression for a 6-foot-7, 340-pound player who is seen as a prototypical tackle. Neal, the seventh overall selection in the 2022 NFL draft out of powerhouse Alabama, was seen as a "cant-miss" prospect who somehow missed. Injuries and underperformance have caused the Giants to move off of Neal and try him somewhere else along the line. Advertisement It would be a real boon for Big Blue if Neal could make the transition. On Thursday, assistant general manager Brandon Brown spoke about how the experiment was going thus far at organized team activities (OTAs). "I think when you look at the job description in our system for the guard, can he create movement at the line of scrimmage? Can he keep the interior firm in pass protection? We've seen Evan do it before. We need the flashes to be consistent," Brown told reporters. "He's been fully bought in with the move. Just knowing that leaning on your strengths, there are not that many men that are as big as he is inside at guard and playing with better balance. Carm (Bricillo) and James (Ferentz) have been working with him throughout this spring. Evan is putting in his work. "We're excited to see what he shows when the pads come on in training camp. Excited to see that he has the physical tools and skill set to transition inside. We just need to see it consistently." Advertisement Neal has all been written off by fans and pundits after three seasons as a bust. The Giants' effort to salvage his career with a position change is being seen as a longshot. Although his path is clear and he will be given every opportunity to win a spot, it's difficult to see Neal pulling this off. Brown believes Neal's size, strength and natural ability will work to his advantage. "He's a big man," Brown said. "When you look at the prototype size, you can look throughout the league, offensive lines like Baltimore, et cetera. There are guys, some of the guys in Philly, that are larger than the typical prototype." Brown highlighted that Neal's quickness didn't work for him at tackle but may work for him at guard. Advertisement "What is the job description and the technique? If you're asking him to pull out in space and do a lot of redirecting at the second level, that is not his game," Brown said. "He's a power broker. He's a guy that can create movement. He's a guy that can absorb power, anchor in pass protection. We have to keep improving the technique, work on his hand usage and his balance. (Offensive line coaches James Ferentz and Carmen Bricillo) are committed to that." Assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka also chimed in on Neal's progress at Thursday's OTA. "Evan is doing a nice job," Kafka said. "He's in transition. He did it in college. And again, just like the nature of the camp. It's not a full-padded camp, but there is a lot of fundamentals you can work, individual drills, pass set drills, and Evan is doing a nice job. Happy for him." During Thursday's session, Neal even took some first-team reps at guard. This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants brass impressed with Evan Neal as he transitions to guard
