New York Giants 2024 Training Camp Preview: OT Marcellus Johnson
The New York Giants' offensive line has been a hot-button topic all off-season. To their credit, they addressed the issue in free agency, bringing in two starting offensive linemen who provided flexibility to help solidify the unit.
The theme seemed to be versatility. Guys who could help at multiple positions. So for Marcellus Johnson, his goal will be to prove that he has the same versatility that others along the offensive line possess if he wants a chance to stick as a developmental addition.
The Eastern Michigan graduate comes from a family of professional football players. His father, Eric, played defensive line in the CFL, XFL, and indoor football league for a decade.
His older brother Eric II was a defensive tackle drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round of the 2022 draft and spent two seasons in Indy. With stock like that, you know that Johnson will understand what is expected.
That gives him a leg up on the other young offensive linemen on the roster. He will know how to work at a professional level.
The issue for Johnson is that there are so many guys in the mix right now. We know both starting tackles and the center are set, Jermaine Elumeanor and Jon Runyan were brought in to start at guards which means that Joshua Ezeudu and Marcus McKethan are now depth pieces.
They also brought in Aaron Stinnie from the Bucs and Matt Nelson from the Lions. That's nine linemen and normally an NFL team only carries nine. That means Johnson and all of the other players on the roster are fighting an uphill battle. There will be 16 offensive linemen reporting to training camp for nine spots that may already be claimed.
So, it will be important for Johnson to impress in the future or possibly for other teams and leagues.
MARCELLUS JOHNSON, OT
Height: 6-4
Weight: 307 lbs.
Exp: R
School: Missouri
How Acquired: UDFA-24
2023 in Review
Before transferring to Missouri, Johnson spent five seasons at Eastern Washington. During his time with the Eagles, he was an important part of the team’s success.
After a 2018 redshirt season, he spent the next four years as a contributor on the offensive line. He began during the abbreviated 2020 season, during which they only played six games.
In 2021 he started 13 straight contests at left tackle. He opened holes for 26 rushing touchdowns and protected for one of the best passing units in the MAC. He was a contributor again in 2022. He made 32 starts during his time with the Eagles
Johnson transferred to Missouri for his final season of college football but dealt with injuries that took away his ability to be a consistent contributor for the Tigers but he did make his presence felt on special teams.
He also started one game at right guard for the Tigers in a 30-27 nail-biting victory over a ranked Kansas State team.
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Contract/Cap Info
Johnson signed a three-year, $2.85 million contract, including a $20,000 signing bonus, $170,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $950,000.
In 2024, Johnson will earn a base salary of $795,000 and a signing bonus of $20,000, while carrying a cap hit of $801,666 and a dead cap value of $170,000.
2024 Preview
Johnson will need to hit the playbook hard and learn both tackle and guard positions. As discussed earlier, his path to the practice squad is going to be to show versatility. While they did not draft offensive linemen, they used resources to bring in linemen to compete.
The positive that Johnson will want to hang on to is that the Giants gave him guaranteed money to be here. Whenever a player needs a break, he needs to hustle to get a rep in at almost every position. He should probably even spend time learning to snap.
Last season there were linemen being picked up off the street to play meaningful snaps so Johnson needs to use training camp to make an impression and convince the coaching staff that he is worth keeping around and continuing to develop on the practice squad.
GENE CLEMONS
Gene "Coach" Clemons has been involved with the game of football for 30 years as a player, coach, evaluator, and journalist. Clemons has spent time writing for the Worcester Telegram and Gazette, Bridgton News, Urbana Daily Citizen, Macon Telegraph and footballgameplan.com. He has a YouTube channel called "Coach Gene Clemons" where you can find his popular "X&O The Joes" series as well as other football related content.