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Giants starting OT Will Beatty out 5-6 months

We’re still four months away from the season, and the New York Giants are already down an offensive lineman.

The team announced Thursday that starting left tackle Will Beatty suffered a torn pectoral muscle while lifting weights on Tuesday. The injury required surgery, which will keep him out of action for “five to six months.”

Beatty, entering his seventh season, has played in 82 games and started 63 for the Giants since the team selected him in the second round of the 2009 draft.

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The 6-foot-6, 319-pound Beatty hasn’t missed a game for the Giants in three seasons, but now will conservatively miss the first half of the 2015 campaign. Beatty’s injury likely opens up the starting role for first-round pick Ereck Flowers to fill in at a tackle spot. The 6-foot-6, 325-pound Miami product was picked ninth overall, but there’s undoubtedly a steep learning curve that comes with protecting Eli Manning’s blindside.

Right tackle Justin Pugh, the team’s first-round pick in 2013, could also potentially slide to the left side. Another option is five-year veteran Marshall Newhouse, a recent free agent signing. Newhouse has past starting experience during his time with the Green Bay Packers, but was signed as a backup.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!