Giants to sign veteran OL Joe Looney

Joe Looney and Jason Garrett are getting back together. The Giants are signing the veteran offensive lineman, a source told Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

Garrett, now the Giants’ offensive coordinator, was Looney’s head coach for several years in Dallas. As Garafolo points out, Looney almost signed with New York last offseason before he ended up back with the Cowboys on a one-year deal. He ended up starting 12 games in Dallas last season. Originally a fourth-round pick of the 49ers in 2012, Looney spent his first three seasons in San Francisco.

Cut ahead of the 2015 season, he latched on with the Titans before signing with the Cowboys in 2016, with whom he would spend the next five years. He was a reserve in 2016 and 2017, then a 16-game starter in 2018, then hit the bench again in 2019.

It’s unclear what exact role the Giants envision for him. New York currently has Nick Gates slated to start at center, but Dan Duggan of The Athletic thinks it’s possible the team could switch Gates to guard if they think Looney will give them a better starting five in the trenches. Looney also has played a lot of guard in the past. Either way, it’s a decent depth signing this late in the process as Looney has a good amount of starting experience and familiarity with Garrett’s offense.