He knows how tough it is to move from one side of the offensive line to the other. So Justin Pugh expects it will not be smooth sailing as Ereck Flowers switches from left tackle to right tackle on the Giants’ revamped offensive line.
“I think it’s gonna be a tough transition going from left tackle to right tackle,’’ Pugh said Wednesday on WFAN. “He’s exclusively played left tackle his entire career, so he’s really got to work on it this offseason. Just keep working his technique. I will say this, Ereck Flowers is the strongest player on that team right now, I guarantee it — pound for pound the strongest guy on that team.’’
Strength has never been the issue with Flowers, the Giants’ starting left tackle for three years. His technique is sloppy, starting with poor hand placement and off-balance footwork. The Giants finally pulled the plug on Flowers as Eli Manning’s blind-side protector with their free-agent signing last week of Nate Solder, who manned left tackle for the Patriots the past seven years.
Pugh, the Giants’ 2013 first-round pick, is not part of the rebuild. The Giants showed no real interest as he hit the open market — “There wasn’t much conversations there with that,’’ he said — and he did nicely for himself, cashing in with the Cardinals on a five-year deal worth $45 million, with $20 million guaranteed.
Pugh arrived having played left tackle exclusively in college at Syracuse, and the Giants immediately made him a right tackle, starting 30 games his first two seasons, before eventually settling in at left guard. He knows what Flowers is in for.
“It’s definitely tough, coming from a guy that played left tackle all throughout college, he played for three years in the NFL, going over to the right side, it’s gonna be a big adjustment for him,” Pugh said. “I can speak just from personal experience. He’s got to look forward to the challenge. He’s got to go into it and embrace it, because if he goes into it with the attitude ‘This isn’t fair, that’s not what I signed up for,’ he’s gonna dig himself into a deeper hole. I know Ereck is going to be working his butt off in the offseason. I wish him nothing but the best and the rest of the offensive line.’
As far as getting a break on the right side, not having to deal with a top pass rusher every week, Pugh says that simply is not the case anymore.
“I actually think there’s better pass rushers on the right side than there are on the left side,’’ he said. “You look across the board, you have the Von Millers of this world, J.J. Watt plays over there, Khalil Mack, there’s just some beasts that play on both sides.’’
Pugh said during his five years with the Giants, whenever a new player arrived, he shared a similar sentiment. “Everyone that came to the Giants organization always told me you never know what else is out there, you don’t know how good you have it here in New York,’’ Pugh said. “And then I got out here to Arizona and I realized they really have a great culture, they have a lot going on out there.
“I learned so many great things and met so many great people in New York, they’ll never be replaced. It’s just going out there and making new relationships and building bonds and winning games in Arizona is my main focus right now.
“They wanted me out there. It was the right fit for me.’’