Giants Player Profile: Spencer Pulley, OC
2019 Rewind
Spencer Pulley is the only center on the 2020 New York Giants with any tried and true game experience, and that alone likely gives him a leg up in any competition.
Pulley was a restricted free agent out of Vanderbilt that signed on with the Chargers. In college, Pulley was a very tough player, who would continuously play through injuries, in an offense that featured the run.
He earned All-SEC honors in 2014 when he recorded 28 pancake blocks. In 2015, his fifth year of eligibility, he recorded 35 pancake blocks and helped Ralph Webb rush for 1,152 yards, which was the second-highest total in school history; this, of course, led him to again earning All-SEC honors.
Pulley played two seasons for the Chargers and played significant snaps in both campaigns, more so in year two because he was filling in for the suspended Max Tuerk. Pulley didn’t make a substantial impression on the Chargers, and he was waived at final cuts the next season, the Giants scooping him up off waivers.
Pulley would go on to play in 13 contests, nine of them as a starter for the Giants due to injuries. He didn’t play too poorly that season; for a young player, he showed strides in framing blocks on shaded defenders, and he seemed to be a bit stronger at the point of attack than Jon Halapio. The latter initially won the job before a broken ankle ended his 2018 campaign early.
In 2018, Pulley started from Week 7 through the end of the season. He allowed two sacks, one in the first Washington contest and the other against Chicago, and 12 total pressures, but he seemed to get better down the stretch of the season.
Once Halapio returned to health in 2019, there never really was a competition for the starting center job, as Halapio regained his spot in the lineup.
Pulley played in three contests in 2019, starting the Jets game and seeing action against the Dolphins and the Eagles in Week 17. He gave up three pressures in that span, and his timing with Hernandez, specifically, on stunts and twists was a bit off, which is understandable.
The sample size is small, but Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams had a field day scheming pressure against the Giants offensive line when Pulley was starting.
For context, Nate Solder was hurt early in the game, forcing Eric Smith to start at left tackle, and Hal Hunter was the offensive line coach for the Giants. Hopefully, there seems to be a significant upgrade at the coaching position in terms of the offensive line.
Can Marc Colombo can unlock the full potential of Pulley if he's indeed the starter. That remains to be seen.
Going Forward
Pulley is the starter--as of right now--but the fan base is clamoring for the potential of Nick Gates and Shane Lemieux starting at center in 2020.
Both Gates and Lemieux have never played center, so this poses a problem due to the truncated off-season that Covid-19 is forcing everyone to endure.
Reports have surfaced that both Gates and Lemieux have “taken snaps” at center, but it seems like an arduous task to believe that they can master the position, in a new offense, with no real practice reps under their belt.
Pulley should get the first crack at the starting gig, but the Giants are going to explore these other options, as they should.
Head coach Joe Judge and general manager Dave Gettleman have both stressed the importance of having versatile players. Cross-training at positions is a goal for the 2020 Giants to make changes in the event of ineffectiveness or injury.
Another aspect of the center position to pay attention to is Halapio. If he returns healthy, can he win the job again like he did last season? It's plausible, but that recovery time would be Adrian Peterson like, which is why Pulley right now is the most likely option to start the season at center for the Giants.
