Deal!
The right guard who became a right tackle then a left guard then went back to right tackle then back to left guard then back to right tackle for a half and then to left tackle for two games before replacing Luke Pettigout and playing left tackle for the Super Bowl Giants seems to have found his place on the o-line. David Diehl signed a new six-year, $31-million contract with the team that will escalate his salary between $750,000 and $1.1 million per year as long as he is playing tackle. The new contract, which was signed before the draft and first reported by ESPN today, has been confirmed.
He seemed to be in a particularly happy mood when we caught a glimpse of him in the locker room the Tuesday before the draft. Now we know why.
Diehl played last year under a six-year, $15.5 million extension that went through the 2011 season. The Giants tore that up for this new tackle-specific contract, investing heavily in the protection of Eli Manning at what some consider to be one of the most important positions on the field. Diehl has started all 80 games of his five-year career.