New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman has quite a bit of work to do in the coming months, and after his initial evaluations at the Senior Bowl, he will temporarily return his focus to the team’s pending free agents.

One such free agent is center Weston Richburg, the team’s 2014 second-round pick and four-year starter (three of those years at center).

Richburg has been considered one of the better centers in the league despite the Giants’ offensive line struggles. However, he struggled to remain healthy, missing 12 games this past season.

As a result, the Giants and Gettleman may go in a different direction. And Tony Pauline of Draft Analysis reports that one potential option to replace him is Carolina Panthers offensive lineman Andrew Norwell, who is also expected to become an unrestricted free agent.

Weston Richburg, who was fast becoming one of the top young centers in the NFL before his injury last season, may end up signing with a new team in free agency but may not leave the New York/New Jersey area. Speculation is New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman will looks to sign Panthers interior lineman Andrew Norwell, a favorite of his in Carolina, during free agency rather than re-sign Richburg. If this scenario plays out, the New York Jets will make a run at Richburg.

The 6-foot-6, 325-pound Norwell signed with the Panthers as an undrafted free agent out of Ohio State in 2014. In four years, he’s appeared in 55 games with 54 starts primarily at left guard, but did also see some time at right guard.

In 2017, Norwell earned a Pro Football Focus grade of 88.8, which was third-best among guards, and was subsequently named an AP First Team All-Pro.

Why Norwell, a guard, would be considered a replacement for Richburg, a center, is unclear, but it’s possible the Giants liked what they saw from Brett Jones and want to continue with him in the middle of their line. Either way, Norwell is an intriguing target for a team looking to drastically improve their offensive line.