In March, the Giants wanted to improve their offensive line, so they gave left tackle Nate Solder a huge contract, and then they signed guard Patrick Omameh to a three-year, $15 million contract with $10 million guaranteed. The Solder signing now looks like a mistake, and the Omameh signing has already proven to be a failure.
Today the Giants announced that they have released Omameh, an admission that they erred greatly in signing him.
It’s too late to get back the money they’ve already paid Omameh, but by cutting him now they at least put themselves in better shape to get compensatory picks in next year’s draft. Players signed who don’t last until Week 10 don’t count toward the league’s complex compensatory pick formula.
“It’s always hard when you release a veteran, especially a guy like Pat - probably one of my favorite people that I’ve met doing this,” Giants coach Pat Shurmur said in a statement. “Sometimes, it’s about the player. Sometimes, it’s about the situation, the numbers, and all that, but we wish Pat well.”
The Giants’ offensive line has been in flux all season, and Omameh is the second player they’ve cut who opened the season as a starter on the offensive line. Ereck Flowers, who began the season as the Giants’ starting right tackle, has also been released.
Next offseason, bolstering the offensive line will again be a high priority for the Giants. They can only hope they do a better job of it than they did this year.