EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Giants wouldn't have used the No. 9 pick in the 2015 draft on Ereck Flowers if they didn't consider him a long-term answer at left tackle. And after an injury to Will Beatty forced Flowers to start 15 games at left tackle as a rookie, the Giants entered the 2016 offseason with him installed in that same spot.

But if something happened -- if the Giants had drafted another tackle this year and moved Flowers to the right? What would Flowers have thought of that?

"Couldn't care less," Flowers said Wednesday after Giants minicamp practice. "Couldn't care less about that."

The Giants didn't take a lineman -- in the first round or in any other round -- in this year's draft. But that doesn't mean they've ruled out adding one. According to sources familiar with the discussions, the Giants discussed a possible trade for tackle Eugene Monroe before the Baltimore Ravens released him Wednesday afternoon. The Giants were interested in Monroe but didn't want to give up draft-pick compensation and also take on Monroe's $6.5 million salary. Now that he's free to sign with anyone, they will continue to have interest and could sign him.

But that depends on a lot of factors. For instance, other teams are likely to be interested. And while the Giants have the cap space to outbid other teams for Monroe if they want, that doesn't mean they will. Monroe is 29 years old and has missed a total of 15 games the last two years due to injury. One of the reasons the Ravens moved on from Monroe is that they are trying to go with younger and healthier options on the offensive line, and the Giants should be thinking along the same lines.

However, the Giants don't have much in reserve, and their confidence in returning right tackle Marshall Newhouse isn't ultra-high. So while it's nice to get younger and healthier in theory, they could decide that the need to keep Eli Manning upright requires adding a veteran like Monroe for a year while Flowers and other young linemen continue to develop. If nothing else, they could sign him just to bring him to camp, see how healthy he is and add him to the competition for playing time on the line.

In the end, Flowers is the Giants' left tackle of the future. And it's possible that, even if they did sign Monroe, they could play him on the right side and leave Flowers on the left. But they're open to options because they know they don't have a perfect solution on the line right now. So keep an eye out for Monroe, and if he signs elsewhere, know the Giants aren't ruling out adding someone from the outside to the mix.