Andrew Thomas wants to be a foundational piece of Giants turnaround unlike former teammate

The careers of Andrew Thomas and Dexter Lawrence are the same in a lot of ways.Both were Giants’ first-round draft picks who developed into Second-Team All-Pros.Both signed contract extensions — just 83 days apart.

Both sacrifice their bodies in the trenches even though their individual dominance hasn’t prevented a steady stream of losses and coaching changes.Get texts from Paul Schwartz with all the latest Giants news and insights, exclusive to Sports+ subscribers.

But that’s where the similarities stop because Lawrence grew tired of rebuilding and requested a trade, ending six years as teammates with Thomas by landing with the Bengals.Thomas, who has $82.1 million remaining on a contract through 2029, isn’t following suit.“All I can do is control what I can control, and that’s trying to be the best player and the best leader I can be,” the 27-year-old left tackle said.

“If I want this place to reach the goals we have set, I’ve got to be a part of that, so that’s what I’m trying to do.”Head coach John Harbaugh considers Thomas a foundational piece — often citing him alongside quarterback Jaxson Dart and a stable of pass-rushers as the roster pieces that made the Giants an attractive vacancy.“He called me when he first signed and we spoke about the offensive line and the identity of the offense that we want to have,” Thomas said.“[He said] it’s to be dominant up front and I would be a big catalyst for that.

I’m excited for that pressure.I want to lead those guys and be a great, dominating unit.”The phone call was a show of respect for Thomas, whose greatness often is overlooked around the league because of his long injury history and the Giants’ dreadful records.Thomas was a Pro Bowl snub last season after ranking top-three among NFL offensive tackles in fewest quick quarterback pressures allowed (three), fewest sacks allowed (one) and longest average time to pressure (3.9 seconds) over 13 games.Harbaugh, a Super Bow...