ALBANY – There are things he cannot do. Not at 37. Not after 15 years serving as the armor for a variety of quarterbacks, down in the trenches where impact is sudden and success often comes with a price.
Lomas Brown cannot do what he used to do, simply because physical skills and athletic prowess fade over time, no matter how youthful your appearance or how upbeat your personality may be. For the Giants to do much of anything this season, Brown does not have to swim in the fountain of youth, but he had better take a sip.
The aged left tackle represents the most significant gamble the club has taken in this year of fairly dynamic change. The easy and perhaps sensible way to go was to re-sign their own free agent, Roman Oben, who was dependable, smart and in his prime, 10-years younger than Brown. The Giants pursued Oben but did not over-extend for him, knowing all along they wanted to import Brown to play left tackle, planning to move Oben elsewhere on the line if Brown were acquired. After Brown came on board, Oben left for Cleveland, leaving no fallback position for the Giants.
If Lomas Brown cannot revive some of his glory and anchor the revamped offensive line, the Giants are in serious trouble. Is this asking too much of one of the league’s few non-extinct dinosaurs?
“What can’t I do?” Brown asked yesterday, responding to a question. “I can’t really get up out of bed on a Monday. I used to get up out of bed. I have to roll out of bed now on Mondays. To be honest with you, and this is not being cocky or anything, I don’t think I’m limited to things I can’t do.”
Any limits will be too many to suit the Giants. Renowned for his leadership skills, media savvy and work ethic, Brown is a welcome addition but must be more than a nifty new ornament. He does not have to return to the form that produced seven consecutive Pro Bowl selections (1990-96 with the Lions and Cardinals) but he does have to be effective and durable, a combination that players heading towards 40 find exceedingly difficult to achieve.
The Giants are banking on Brown having enough left in his tank, and judging from exterior markings, Brown has held up remarkably well. His face is smooth and bright and he looks 10 years younger than he is. His weight is a slender 275 pounds, which is throwback bulk in this age of 320-pound building blocks. He admits to having “little chicken legs” and early in training camp, when veterans can be grumpy, his effervescence is genuine.
“I tell people, those are the guys you look up to,” Jessie Armstead said. “For a guy like myself, that’s a guy I can look up to. Put in the years, put in the work. He put in 15 years, he’s been to the Pro Bowl before, it’s not no talk.”
Others have also taken notice. Brown works every day against defensive end Cedric Jones, who has 11 years old when Brown broke into the league in 1985.
“I know he’s trying to figure me out right now, I heard he’s been watching a little extra film on me,” Brown said.
“I’m studying him hard,” countered Jones. “By the time we leave hopefully I’ll have him. He’s different than all the other tackles, his sets, everything, so you got to get used to him.”
The difference is based on experience. Brown is not set in his ways, and he is able to make adjustments on the fly for each particular opponent. He’s already been able to turn his shoulder just enough to bait Jones into an outside route on his pass rush, which plays to Brown’s strength.
“Right now Cedric’s still learning,” Brown said. “I’m quite sure he has something up his sleeve for me.”
Brown had better have something up his sleeve as well. He has been incredibly injury-free in his lengthy career, but he did miss the final six games of last season with the Browns because of a sprained right knee. The Giants need him to be on the field and on his feet. For now, he surely looks young enough.
“I guess I have to thank my mom and dad for that,” Brown said. “I’m trying to fool these guys, that’s my secret.”
