Will Beatty's Injury Sends Major Ripple Through New York Giants Offense

The New York Giants had the future in mind when they selected Ereck Flowers in the 2015 draft. The ninth overall pick needs time to develop in pass protection as a right tackle before eventually sliding over and becoming quarterback Eli Manning's newest blindside wall of humanity.

But the problem with plans is they can be shattered in an instant. Or in this case, ripped.

Easing Flowers along meant still leaning on current left tackle and offensive line anchor Will Beatty. He had missed only one game over the past three seasons.

Now that stretch of 46 straight starts is about to be broken, and a feeling of uncertainty will return to hover over the Giants offensive line.

Beatty suffered a torn pectoral muscle while lifting weights, an injury first reported Wednesday afternoon by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Losing a critical piece of the offensive line is always a swift punch to the solar plexus. Then a roundhouse kick follows when that loss is taken in May, long before training camp when Beatty was in the weight room.

Both the date and his physical location were far removed from meaningful game action. Which serves as today's reminder that football has little regard for the calendar: The sport is always cold, cruel and threatening to break your spork.

Beatty will need surgery, pushing his return date to November at the earliest, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. The best-case scenario then is he'll play about half the 2015 season. The worst-case scenario of even more missed time isn't something the Giants really want to consider right now, even after the addition of Flowers.

Flowers' strength right now is as a run blocker. In his pre-draft evaluation, NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein called the 21-year-old an "ascending mauler in the run game."

However, Zierlein then added these cautionary words about the towering (6'6" and 329 lbs) mound of man who may now replace Beatty.

"Pass protection needs plenty of work," he wrote while noting Flowers was flagged for six holding penalties during his final two seasons playing for the Miami Hurricanes.

"He's knocked off balance by smaller pass-rushers. Hips looked tight and struggled to gain ground when asked to pass set in combine drills."

That's why Flowers ideally needed time on the right side. Now, a promising—though still raw—rookie could be tasked with being Manning's trusted blindside protector for half the 2015 season (or longer), right when an emerging offense under coordinator Ben McAdoo is looking to take the next step.

The other replacement option is current right tackle Justin Pugh. He could be more appealing simply due to his two years of experience. However, shifting him over to the left side may only be a minor upgrade, as Pugh's recent results are less than encouraging.

Tackle	Snaps	Sacks allowed
Beatty at left tackle	1,141	3
Pugh at right tackle	931	6

Pugh doubled Beatty's sacks allowed in 2014 despite playing 210 fewer snaps. The three sacks Beatty allowed placed him in a tie for 15th among the 54 tackles who were on the field for at least 50 percent of their team's snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

Manning didn't crumble much overall in 2014 and was sacked a manageable 28 times. But that total was often a product of an offense structured around precise rhythm and quick-hitting passes, characteristics frequently leading to a rapid release.

Now that tendency will be more than just a designed preference from McAdoo. Instead, an even quicker release could become necessary for survival after a season when Manning's time in the pocket was nearly among the bottom five.

Quarterback	Average time to throw
Peyton Manning	2.24
Tom Brady	2.39
Andy Dalton	2.39
Kirk Cousins	2.41
Kyle Orton	2.41
Eli Manning	2.49

If Manning's time in the pocket decreases, so too will the opportunities to utilize wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. deep. During his rookie season, Beckham was targeted 129 times on throws traveling 20-plus yards through the air, per PFF, turning that into 366 receiving yards and three of his 12 total touchdowns.

Same goes for Victor Cruz if he's healthy. Cruz excels as a shifty, elusive slot receiver, yet even while playing only six games prior to tearing his patellar tendon in 2014, he was still targeted 40 times on 20-plus-yard passes.

Sprinkling in those vertical looks will be difficult if Manning is constantly dodging bodies, which will prompt small yet still significant tinkering with the foundation of McAdoo's offense. Tight ends could be used more often to help with blocking instead of being options in the flat, and running backs may also stay in the backfield out of necessity.

Beatty isn't a Pro Bowl-caliber left tackle. But for the Giants, he was a pillar providing a sense of comfort and ease.

Now he's gone, and the unknown lies ahead.