Eugene Monroe’s public stance on the use of medical marijuana in the NFL won’t deter the Giants from signing the free agent offensive tackle.
At least, that was the message coming from coach Ben McAdoo and his players after the final practice of the team’s three-day minicamp on Thursday.
Released by the Ravens on Wednesday, the talented, 29-year-old offensive tackle has been linked to the Giants, who failed this offseason to fill their void at right tackle currently inhabited by Marshall Newhouse. They tried to trade for Monroe prior to the move, an NFL source said, and are interested in signing him.
“I think everyone’s entitled to their own opinion,” first-year head coach McAdoo said. “Myself, I haven’t done any research. I don’t have a great answer for you there. That’s probably more of a political question, something that I’m not necessarily willing to jump into at this point — or ever. But every player, every coach, every person has their own opinion and is entitled to it.”
Right guard Justin Pugh would have no problem if Monroe joined Big Blue, granted he could help the Giants on the field.
“All I know is I’m trying to win games, so if he wants to come in and help us win games, I’m all for it,” Pugh said.
On Thursday, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said the release of Monroe was because of “100 percent football circumstances.” The Ravens used their first-round pick (sixth overall) on Notre Dame offensive lineman Ronnie Stanley, and Monroe was coming off shoulder surgery, is due $6.5 million this year and played in just 15 games the past two seasons after signing a five-year, $37.5 million deal before the 2013 season.
Nevertheless, Monroe questioned the reasoning in a statement, saying the Ravens “have distanced themselves from me and made it clear that they do not support my advocacy.” The Plainfield, N.J., native this offseason became the first active player to endorse the use of medical marijuana and get it banned from the league’s banned substances list. On Thursday in a post on Twitter, he reiterated he doesn’t plan to back down.
“Despite the current uncertainties, one thing is for sure: whatever happens in terms of my professional football career, I will never stop pushing for the League to accept medical cannabis as a viable option for pain management,” he said. “I will do everything I can to ensure the generations of NFL players after me won’t have to resort to harmful and addictive opioids as their only option for pain management.”
Giants running back Rashad Jennings, Monroe’s former teammate with the Jaguars, voiced his support of potentially adding Monroe. Like McAdoo, Jennings declined to comment on the idea of players using marijuana as a pain killer, but has no issue with Monroe’s stance.
“We’re humans. Everybody has an opinion,” Jennings said. “Every single person up here with a mic has an opinion on anything that I’m saying, so it could be held against me. But that’s why you speak what’s true and authentic to you. And if he feels that he needed to say that at this time in his life, and he felt it was going to garnish a type of response and changes, then go for it, man.
“It shouldn’t affect his game play, how he carries himself. [He is a] great dude, stays out of trouble, clean guy, works really hard. So I hope no GM or organization will hold that against him for speaking his opinion.”
Whether the Giants wind up signing Monroe remains uncertain. They have $18 million cap room, but they also would prefer he play right tackle instead of moving left tackle Ereck Flowers over. The Chargers and Seahawks also reportedly are interested. Monroe’s agent, Sanat “Sunny” Shah, told The Post on Wednesday they would be speaking to teams over the next few days, but a decision isn’t imminent.