New York Giants left tackle Ereck Flowers had appeared to take strides forward this offseason, remaining in East Rutherford to train with fellow tackle Bobby Hart.

In the team’s preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the offensive line struggled, but Flowers was the least of their concerns. However, in the practices to follow, there have been numerous red flags cropping up.

Flowers has routinely found himself victimized by defensive end Olivier Vernon — something most NFL tackles share in common — and beaten cleanly.

At one point during Monday’s practice, Flowers was also pulled from the field in favor of rookie Chad Wheeler after committing a false start,

It was a rough day and a series of rough practices for Flowers, but perhaps not enough to warrant panic. He’s clearly leaner, quicker and has sported improved footwork and hand placement. But the expectation seems to be a transformation into an All-Pro and that’s simply not realistic.

Flowers’ incline will be gradual. There will be ups and downs, peaks and valleys en route to whatever ultimate destination he reaches. For now, it’s still relatively early in the preseason and he’s going one-on-one with some of the best pass rushing defensive ends in football on a daily basis.

Should Flowers continue to struggle into the regular season, the conversation will be different. But for now, patience is a virtue and the 2015 first-round pick deserves the benefit of the doubt after a dedicated offseason.