The New York Giants have built their offseason around continuity, and that makes any suggestion of a John Michael Schmitz shakeup look especially far-fetched.
With Miami All-American right tackle Francis Mauigoa joining the mix and moving to right guard, the Giants are set to return four starters along the offensive line. Left guard Jon Runyan and center John Michael Schmitz are both in contract years, which would normally create the kind of setup that pushes a player toward a long-term deal.
Still, Mason Cameron of Pro Football Focus has Schmitz slotted as the NFL’s No. 26 center, and he went a step further by floating the idea that Schmitz’s job could be in danger.
“Although Schmitz is viewed as the incumbent for the Giants and not currently in danger of losing his status as the starter, that could change in the coming weeks or months under John Harbaugh’s new regime,” Cameron wrote.
That’s where the argument starts to fall apart. There have been no credible reports suggesting the Giants are even entertaining a move away from Schmitz, much less lining up Lucas Patrick or Bryan Hudson to take over. Barring injuries, the starting five is expected to be Runyan, Schmitz, Mauigoa, left tackle Andrew Thomas, and right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor when Week 1 arrives against the Cowboys.
Cameron’s low ranking is one thing. Saying Schmitz might be on the verge of losing his job is another, and it doesn’t line up with anything the Giants have shown this offseason.
If the team truly wanted to replace him, April would have been the time to do it. Instead of selecting Notre Dame receiver Malachi Fields at No. 74, they could have gone with Texas A&M center Trey Zuhn III, who was picked No. 91 by the Raiders.
That’s not an argument that the Giants should have taken Zuhn - just a sign they had a shot at a center and chose a different path.
“Across his three seasons in the NFL, Schmitz has yet to prove he’s worthy of being the entrenched starter, having never surpassed a 62.0 overall PFF grade for a season,” Cameron wrote.
PFF grades have long been a flashpoint, with current and former players taking issue with the outlet’s grading system. But whatever the debate around those numbers, there’s no real reason to tie Schmitz’s standing to Harbaugh’s arrival. His first three seasons did not send the Giants searching for a replacement, and there was never any sign they were ready to move on.
For now, Schmitz looks like what he’s been all along: a competent starter. If that’s not enough for PFF to see him as more than that, that’s a separate issue entirely.
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