As part of their ongoing efforts to strengthen their offensive line over the summer, the Giants have acquired veteran offensive tackle Matt Nelson.
According to reports, Nelson was there with the team on their visit to East Rutherford on Wednesday. It is likely that Nelson was pleased with what he saw, as the two parties were able to reach a consensus on the matter just one day later.
With Matt Peart leaving the team in free agency after signing a one-year contract with the Denver Broncos, Big Blue now has the opportunity to consider the 28-year-old as a potential swing-tackle option.
Nelson was a defensive end for the University of Iowa throughout his whole undergraduate career. During his senior year, he was honored with the Team Hustle award, and he was also nominated for Academic All-Big Ten four times.
He rapidly made the switch to the offensive line after signing with the Lions as an undrafted free agent following the 2019 Draft. Before that, he had been a defensive end.
In his first year with the organization, Nelson was a member of the practice squad; however, he quickly earned his way into the roster and made 16 appearances in 2020. The following year, he continued his success by starting 11 games, which was a career best.
The previous season, he started at right tackle for both of the first two games of the season. However, he suffered an ankle injury that forced him to be placed on injured reserve and ultimately brought a stop to his season.
This fully remade offensive line, which has also added Jon Runyan Jr., Jermaine Eluemunor, Aaron Stinnie, and Austin Schlottman to the mix this summer, will be looking to him to help turn things around now that he is with Big Blue.
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