Giants Country

Giants Re-sign OL Greg Van Roten

The Giants turn Greg Van Roten, a familiar face who was solid and reliable for them on their offensive line last season.
New York Giants offensive lineman Greg Van Roten returns for another season with the team.
New York Giants offensive lineman Greg Van Roten returns for another season with the team. | Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

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The New York Giants finally resolved the remaining hole on their offensive line by bringing back a familiar face.

Greg Van Roten, who was signed to the roster last year after training camp started and who went on to play every snap–a career-high 1,121 snaps, to be exact–is back on a one-year deal

The 35-year-old Van Roten offers position flexibility at both guard and center spots. Last season, he played 982 snaps at right guard after being brought in when Evan Neal suffered a setback in his recovery from ankle surgery, forcing the Giants to move Jermaine Eluemnor from guard to right tackle. 

With backup center Austin Schlottmann on injured reserve due to a broken leg suffered in Week 1 of the season, Van Roten became the primary backup at center, playing in 138 snaps at that position starter John Michael Schmitz missed the final two games of the season with an injury.

Van Roten’s size, physicality, and experience helped him in his role as the starting right guard. While the league’s defenders regularly challenged his mobility, Van Roten often held his ground and never panicked, bringing a sense of calmness to the offensive line as injuries began to eat away at the starting unit.  

Van Roten, who finished his first season with the Giants with a 96.9 pass-blocking efficiency rating, played last season on a one-year, $3 million deal.

His new deal is reportedly for one year, the financials not immediately available. But he’ll likely get a much bigger payout and perhaps even a per-game roster bonus. 


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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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