Giants sign former Eagles Guard Andrews

[Oldskool]

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/news/story?id=5478978

ALBANY, N.Y. -- The New York Giants have signed former NFC East rival guard Shawn Andrews.

Andrews, a three-time Pro Bowl blocker for the Eagles, has not played since 2008 because of a back injury. He worked out for the Giants Thursday and signed with the team at 1:45 a.m. ET Friday.

The Giants waived offensive lineman Cliff Louis to clear room on the roster.

"Our personnel staff has been monitoring Shawn's progress for a while now," general manager Jerry Reese said. "He looks great and had a very good workout for us yesterday. He can play both guard and both tackle positions. We just have to take him slow for the rest of the preseason to get him into game shape. Shawn is very excited and grateful for this opportunity to play for the New York Giants."

Starting guard Chris Snee has missed several practices with a knee injury. The Giants' other starting guard, Rich Seubert, missed some time earlier in camp with a broken hand but has since returned to practice.

Andrews, 27, was Philadelphia's first-round pick in 2004 and made the Pro Bowl in 2005, '06 and '07.

In 2008, he started two games before hitting the injured reserve list with a back injury, and hasn't played since re-injuring it in training camp last year. The Eagles waived him in March when he failed a physical.

[Tom [Giants fan]]

Not a bad signing. Little risk with potential huge reward. It will be interesting to see how this pans out. And he is still very young.

But it kind of makes me worry about Snee. Is there something about him the Giants aren't telling everyone?

[Oldskool]

;7715337']Not a bad signing. Little risk with potential huge reward. It will be interesting to see how this pans out. And he is still very young.

But it kind of makes me worry about Snee. Is there something about him the Giants aren't telling everyone?

After seeing what's going on in Baltimore and Dallas, I'm sure they realized you can't have enough depth at OL.

[Chachie]

I don't know why Washington didn't give him a look when Mike Williams went down. He was off my radar but I think it's a steal for the New Yawk Football G-men. Like Tom said- no risk, high reward.

[authentic]

I think he's physically healthy, but i believe the question is with his mental state. Does he still have a passion to play at a high level. However as Tom stated, i do wonder what's going on with Snee.

[doncherry]

I don't know why Washington didn't give him a look when Mike Williams went down. He was off my radar but I think it's a steal for the New Yawk Football G-men. Like Tom said- no risk, high reward.

very good signing, I have to wonder if Dallas was asleep at the wheel in light of what has been going on with their o-line. why wasn't jerruh on the phone with him?

[penasquito]

very good signing, I have to wonder if Dallas was asleep at the wheel in light of what has been going on with their o-line. why wasn't jerruh on the phone with him?
If the Cowboys sign someone, it will most likely be someone who can backup at Center, preferably a guy who's comfortable at C or G.

Shawn Andrews was absolutely dominant with the Eagles. I don't know what happened to the guy in the past 2 years or what progress the Giants are talking about, but if he regains his 2007 form it was a great move. But there are 80 guys on 32 rosters right now. It's significant that the Giants were the only team interested in this guy.

[doncherry]

If the Cowboys sign someone, it will most likely be someone who can backup at Center, preferably a guy who's comfortable at C or G.

Shawn Andrews was absolutely dominant with the Eagles. I don't know what happened to the guy in the past 2 years or what progress the Giants are talking about, but if he regains his 2007 form it was a great move. But there are 80 guys on 32 rosters right now. It's significant that the Giants were the only team interested in this guy.

Andrews can play both tackle or guard positions. I would think having a guy like that, in light of the recent problems, would be a no-brainer. And if he approaches his previous level of play, that is just a bonus...

[Oldskool]

I don't know why Washington didn't give him a look when Mike Williams went down. He was off my radar but I think it's a steal for the New Yawk Football G-men. Like Tom said- no risk, high reward.

He's a 340lb lineman with back and knee issues. Don't think that he'd fit well in a pure ZBS such as what the Skins run.

[Oldskool]

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/giants/2010/08/giants-sign-pro-bowl-ol-shawn.html

Giants sign Shawn Andrews to 6-year deal »

By Ralph Vacchiano

UPDATED 1:24 p.m.

Obviously concerned about the health of their two starting guards, the Giants made a shocking addition early this morning when they signed offensive lineman Shawn Andrews, a three-time Pro Bowler and former first-round pick.

Andrews, a 6-4, 330-pound former Philadelphia Eagle, worked out for the Giants at the University at Albany yesterday and signed a six-year contract at 1:45 this morning, according to the team. He has not played since a two-game appearance in 2008 because of a back injury. But the Giants apparently are convinced he’s healthy now.

“Our personnel staff has been monitoring Shawn’s progress for awhile now,” Giants GM Jerry Reese said in a statement released by the team. “He looks great and had a very good workout for us yesterday. He can play both guard and both tackle positions. We just have to take him slow for the rest of the preseason to get him into game shape. Shawn is very excited and grateful for this opportunity to play for the New York Giants.”

It turned out to be almost a no-risk signing for the Giants. Andrews’ agent, Rich Moran, told the Daily News in an e-mail that the six-year deal contains very little guaranteed money. He didn’t reveal the exact terms - - and they weren’t immediately available - - but he insisted there’s “more upside” in the second-year of the contract. That likely means it’s loaded with incentives and escalators related to playing time. It also means it won’t cost the Giants much if they decide at any point in the first year that the signing just didn’t work out.

Not that coach Tom Coughlin expects the signing of the 27-year-old Andrews to be anything but a success. After the Giants’ final walkthrough practice of trainning camp at the University at Albany this morning, Coughlin said he was “excited” to have the former Eagle on the squad, adding that Andrews was in “excellent” shape.

Andrews said that’s because he’s spent the last 10 months rehabbing in Los Angeles and “busting my butt” to get ready to return to the NFL. But even he admitted that he won’t really know how his back will hold up on the football field until he plays.

He was at this morning’s walkthrough, but did not participate. He is not expected to play in the Giants’ preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers tomorrow night.

“I put myself through various tests, and the only test for football really is getting on the field, and just going slow,” Andrews said. “They’re just going to kind of ease me into this thing. Just kind of ease me into it and see what happens, see how the back responds … I’ve done everything to prevent it (from flaring up again) and we’ll see what happens.”

“I would think he’ll get back (in action) relatively quick,” Coughlin added. “He’s in good shape. He’s in very good shape.”

Andrews was in good enough shape that he had drawn interest from four teams, according to Moran. The Giants were his second visit and he canceled two others, Moran said, after he was offered a contract. Moran added that Andrews “felt comfortable” with the Giants and expressed a strong interest in remaining in the NFC East.

Andrews apparently has a little leftover bitterness towards his old team after he was released by the Eagles in March after making 50 starts with them from 2004-08 and making the Pro Bowl in 2005, 2006 and 2007. They picked him 16th overall in in 2004 and he immediately was penciled in as their starting right guard. In that season’s opener against the Giants, though, he was lost for the year with a fractured fibula.

He played in all but one game during the next three years, until suffering a back injury in Week 2 of the 2008 season - - an injury that required him to have surgery that October. That came after a tumultuous summer in which he missed the first few weeks of training camp while seeking professional help to help him battle depression.

Andrews re-injured his back in training camp last year and eventually needed surgery again last December. He was released by the Eagles after failing a physical in March.

But a healthy Andrews could be huge for the Giants, who are dangerously thin along the offensive line. Guard Chris Snee is out indefinitely with chronic swelling in his left knee, and guard Rich Seubert is unable to play in games at the moment because of a broken left hand. The Giants were forced to start Guy Whimper at right guard and move left tackle David Diehl inside to left guard in their preseason opener against the Jets (a move they had been experimenting with in camp anyway, so they could see second-year pro Will Beatty at left tackle).Their top reserve, Kevin Boothe, is out until mid-September with a torn pectoral muscle, too.

For what it’s worth, Coughlin insisted that the signing of Andrews had nothing to do with the status of Seubert or Snee. Andrews, he said, is “just another good football player” who could end up being with the Giants for the very long term.

Specific details of Andrews’ six-year contract weren’t immediately available. To make room on the 80-man roster for Andrews, the Giants waived recently-signed offensive lineman Cliff Louis.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/giants/2010/08/giants-sign-pro-bowl-ol-shawn.html#ixzz0xAlNvRe9

[SkinsFanMania]

He's a 340lb lineman with back and knee issues. Don't think that he'd fit well in a pure ZBS such as what the Skins run.

I agree with you oldskool that he wouldn't be a fit in a ZBS. Hell, he may not be a fit in any blocking scheme. Only time will tell.

[Big Blue Joe]

;7715337']Not a bad signing. Little risk with potential huge reward. It will be interesting to see how this pans out. And he is still very young.

But it kind of makes me worry about Snee. Is there something about him the Giants aren't telling everyone?I don't think this has anything to do with Chris Snee. MLB was a glaring hole on the Giants this year, and I was shocked that they didn't add a vet and waited until the 4th round of the draft to address it. But after Keith Bulluck was signed, he revealed the Giants had been in contact with him for months. And the moves the Giants made earlier suddenly made sense.

Similarly the interior OL has been a concern of mine for the past couple of years. I was happy to see the Giants draft Petrus in the 5th because he looks like a good fit for the kind of blocking scheme the team uses. But he's just a rookie, so I was still worried about what might happen this year. Andrews just revealed that the Giants have been in contact with him for months. And they signed him to a six-year deal. So unless Snee's knee injury is potentially career-threatening, I don't think this has anything to do with him. I think Andrews has been in the Giants' long-term plans for a while now.

[penasquito]

Andrews can play both tackle or guard positions.
R U sure? Because out of those 4 positions, he's played zero of them the last 2 years.


I would think having a guy like that, in light of the recent problems, would be a no-brainer. And if he approaches his previous level of play, that is just a bonus...
That's an interesting take. It sounds like you believe he's an NFL caliber G/T, even if the problems that caused Philadelphia to release him are still evident. Again, the Giants seem to be claiming they've been keeping tabs on him, and maybe they believe that his problems are behind him. But it seems like that's a question that still needs to be answered.

Do you think Andrews is guaranteed a roster spot on the Giants in 2010?

Oops. Just saw the post with the news that its a 6 year deal. Sounds like the Giants certainly don't think of him as just-a-guy off the street, so maybe the Cowboys really were asleep at the wheel.

[Oldskool]

Do you think Andrews is guaranteed a roster spot on the Giants in 2010?

The details of his contract haven't been made public other than the fact that it is highly incentive laden and 6 years in length. I'd guess that there would be very little up front cash involved and that they could part was with him if they chose.

However this could be a great move for depth.

[Tom [Giants fan]]

Andrews speaks and answers some questions.

http://www.giants.com/news/transcripts/story.asp?story_id=44204

[bulldog]

Andrews is a decent bet. Especially as insurance behind a quality starter.

Just because the Eagles let him go doesn't mean he is done :)

Their FO gets too much credit for a team that has never won a Super Bowl.

[Chachie]

He's a 340lb lineman with back and knee issues. Don't think that he'd fit well in a pure ZBS such as what the Skins run.



That makes sense.

[tr1]

Put me in the category of his being serviceable for a few games...but two games in the last two seasons doesn't make me think he's any kind of a steal.

[HeHateMe]

very good signing, I have to wonder if Dallas was asleep at the wheel in light of what has been going on with their o-line. why wasn't jerruh on the phone with him?

Agreed 100%.

They continue to keep their collective heads in the sand.

[Eagles_Legendz]

Andrews is a decent bet. Especially as insurance behind a quality starter.

Just because the Eagles let him go doesn't mean he is done :)

Their FO gets too much credit for a team that has never won a Super Bowl.

The Eagles didn't let him go because he couldn't play, the Eagles finally let him go because he wouldn't play. Due to both mental and physical issues (the former is a far larger concern), he wouldn't play football.

If somehow he is able to move on from his issues than it'll work for NY. I think the guy is certifiable, and I'm not just saying that because he signed with the Giants. If he can focus and play football though, it's worth a shot.

[doncherry]

The Eagles didn't let him go because he couldn't play, the Eagles finally let him go because he wouldn't play. Due to both mental and physical issues (the former is a far larger concern), he wouldn't play football.

If somehow he is able to move on from his issues than it'll work for NY. I think the guy is certifiable, and I'm not just saying that because he signed with the Giants. If he can focus and play football though, it's worth a shot.

i had no idea of that. I wish him nothing but the best, despite the fact that he plays for a division rival...

[Oldskool]

I think the guy is certifiable...

Technically he suffers from acute depression. That's the reason that he hasn't had the drive to play football. If he's dealing with this with a combination of therapy and pharmaceuticals and is living a near normal life, then football is icing on the cake.

[onedrop]

Technically he suffers from acute depression. That's the reason that he hasn't had the drive to play football. If he's dealing with this with a combination of therapy and pharmaceuticals and is living a near normal life, then football is icing on the cake.

sounds like all he needs is to talk to this guy...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sozmDci66XA