The Giants have officially signed offensive lineman John Jerry, the team announced today in a press release. Jerry represents the second notable free agent guard signed this offseason by the Giants, who also added former Chief Geoff Schwartz.
Jerry, 27, was notably implicated in the bullying scandal that surrounded the Dolphins last season, with the Ted Wells report suggesting that he was among the players who harassed Jonathan Martin. Given Jerry’s status as an unrestricted free agent, it made sense for the Dolphins to simply part ways with him.
As for his track record on the field, Jerry has typically performed better as a pass blocker than a run blocker, posting slightly below-average overall grades in each of the last two seasons at right guard, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required). That will still represent an upgrade for the Giants, considering last year’s guards, Kevin Boothe, David Diehl, and James Brewer, all ranked below Jerry, according to PFF.
The Giants front office are clearly dedicated to not having a repeat of 2013 abysmal blocking and pass protection, at least for the remainder of Eli’s time under center. It’s likely JR also picks up a few linemen in this very deep draft, most notably at Center, where the Giants depth chart reveals JD Walton is the starter. Thing is, he hasn’t played since early 2012, and in 2011 after his full year at Center he was graded by PFF as the very worst Center in the NFL. With Boothe gone to Oakland, I see JR grabbing a Weston Richburg or Marcus Martin in the 3rd, either of whom could start should Walton go down or perform like it’s 2011 all over again. As for Jerry, he’s insurance and with a rookie Guard draft pick in the 2nd would endanger the flotsam and jetsam like Brewer, Mosley, Herman, Baker, and Goodin to demonstrate value.