Big Blue View
The mail’s here!
Steve asks: If [Evan] Neal plays well at RG, do you think he returns to New York next season? I have my doubts he wants to come back to the Giants. But if he does, and has turned into a quality guard, that can be real progress for the iOL.
Ed says: Steve, right now it is not a guarantee that Evan Neal will be playing guard. Indications are that will be the case, but we won’t know for certain until media gets to watch an OTA toward the end of the month and we see for ourselves.
That said, I think it is hard to predict what might happen. Neal isn’t the only consideration. How does Marcus Mbow look this season? Do the Giants think Mbow is a tackle or a guard? Do they choose to keep Jermaine Eluemunor? Jon Runyan Jr.? Does Jake Kubas develop into a starting-caliber player?
Maybe Neal plays well and becomes a starting guard for the Giants for the next few seasons. Maybe, like Mekhi Becton did for the Philadelphia Eagles, he played well and cashes in on the free agent market.
It would be a good thing for both sides if Neal plays well for the Giants this year.
Mike George asks: After watching the video “Giants Life: How the Jaxson Dart trade went down” I wondered how the NFL handles the actual draft pick trades between teams. After speaking to Houston Texan GM Nick Caserio we hear Joe Schoen say ”25, Houston gets 34, 99 and next year’s third”. But obviously there’s more than just word of mouth between two GMs. How is the trade tracked, verified and locked into place by the NFL?
Ed says: Mike, here is exactly how it works, via NFL Operations:
When teams agree to a trade during the draft, both clubs call the head table, where NFL vice president of player personnel Ken Fiore and staff monitor the league’s phones. Each team must relay the same trade information to the league to have a trade approved.
Once a trade is approved, a Player Personnel representative gives the details to the league’s broadcast partners and to all 32 clubs. A league official announces the trade in the draft venue for media and fans.
All of this, of course, has to happen before a team’s time to pick runs out.
*Andy Winfeld asks: It’s quite obvious from all of their recent free agent and UDFA wide receiver signings (not to mention all the Gabe Davis rumors) that the Giants are specifically seeking a “big” pass catcher to add to their stable. My question is this…why do they insist on continuing with this annual quest when they already have a guy on their roster? You’ll recall that when they signed Bryce Ford-Wheaton as a UDFA three years ago, they paid a hefty premium to do so, as virtually every other club in the NFL wanted to sign him as well…due to...
