John Mara on Justin Tuck: ‘It’s gonna hurt seeing him in a different uniform’

The New York Giants defensive line will look a little bit different next year after the departures of two key starters this offseason in defensive end Justin Tuck and defensive tackle Linval Joseph, as they signed with the Oakland Raiders and Minnesota Vikings respectively. The Giants had a busy offseason, adding impact players like Odell Beckham Jr., Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Geoff Schwartz, Rashad Jennings, and Walter Thurmond to patch up weaknesses, and their offense and defensive backfield look much healthier after a disappointing 2013 season.

Owner John Mara spoke about a variety of topics, including the Giants sudden splash that has them geared for a much different result next year. While the Giants made vast improvements, losing on Tuck is a bit of a sentimental loss that Mara knows he will feel. He said, via the New York Daily News’s Ebenezer Samuel, “It’s gonna hurt seeing him in a different uniform. This one’s really gonna hurt, because he was such a great player and a great citizen for us.”

Mara added that he hopes the other upgrades the Giants made will make up for the loss of Tuck, and I have confidence that this will be the case. Jason Pierre-Paul will continue to be a force at DE, Johnathan Hankins has the ability to dominate in run defense, Cullen Jenkins is a steady vet on the inside, Mike Patterson is a quality piece at DT, Robert Ayers was an underrated offseason signing who can rush the passer and close down running lanes, and Damontre Moore has drawn plenty of buzz as a pass rusher. Meanwhile, Tuck will continue to be a big leader for his new team, and the Raiders honestly need that more. His solid pass rushing and run defense will be a welcome addition to a revamped, strong Raiders front seven that includes two other big veteran signings in LaMarr Woodley and Antonio Smith.