Last week, the New York Giants worked both Ben Bredeson and rookie Joshua Ezeudu at left guard.
When it came time to decide which of the two would be the starter, head coach Brian Daboll and offensive line coach Bobby Johnson went with Bredeson, the veteran. But as it turned out, Bredeson alternated series with Exeudu, bringing back memories of former head coach Joe Judge's famed but unsuccessful rotating offensive line venture that he mainly ran in 2020.
Daboll stressed that Bredeson and Ezeudu earned the right to get game snaps.
"Ezeudu is a young player that we’re developing, and (Offensive Lineman Ben) Bredeson has done a good job throughout camp of playing every position that we asked him to. So, they both earned it," he said.
"They earned it with their preparation. They earned it with their practice habits and deserved to play."
Are there plans to rotate again this weekend when the Giants host the Carolina Panthers?
"We’ll see how it goes this week. Could be the same; could be different," Daboll said, adding that a final decision won't be made until Friday night.
"There's a whole thought process that goes into it. I'll talk to the staff, give them my input, and then collectively make a decision," Daboll said.
Typically when a team rotates players on the offensive line, that usually means that the players involved in the competition are just about even. That means the live game reps typically end up as the deciding factor.
But another possible reason behind the decision to rotate Bredeson and Ezeudu could be that both players missed chunks of time during the latter part of training camp and the preseason and are still getting settled in the offense.
Ultimately, the goal is to go with one guy at each position, and eventually, Daboll thinks the Giants will get there.
"Usually that'll happen, you know, sometime during the year. But I'll just say it again: They've earned the right to do it," he said. "They've earned the right to play with their performance on the practice field, their consistency, and how they handle things."
Daboll said he's comfortable with the situation being what it is.
"They both give us a chance to win, and we think that was the best thing to do for that game," he said.
"Now, does that change in Week 2 or Week 3 or Week 4? Certainly, it could. But the communication with those players, they’re really good. Both of them are good. They’re on top of their stuff. They know what to do. They communicate well with the tackle, with the center. So, those guys both deserve that game for that opportunity."
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