Big Blue View mailbag: Tre Hawkins, Graham Gano, ownership succession plan, more

The mail’s here!

Matthew Mosley asks: Given that the Giants are moving Neal to guard, it got me curious about other players on the roster and potentially some versatility. What are your thoughts on trying a player like Tre Hawkins at safety. Could it work? His athleticism is off the charts and its clear his path to success as a corner in this league is limited.

Giants need depth at that position and he’s been around the system for a few years.

Ed says: Matthew, I can’t rule that out as a possibility. I think, though, that the Giants are probably not ready to give up on Hawkins as a cornerback. Teams always need as many capable players at that spot as they can accumulate.

Players who transition from cornerback to safety are usually older, experienced veterans who no longer have the athleticism to play consistent man-to-man coverage on the outside. That said, I don’t see the Giants as having great depth at safety.

As for being around the system for a few years, he has only been in the NFL for two years and Shane Bowen has only been defensive coordinator for one of those.

Don Rivers asks: What would it take for management to OK us going back to GIANTS on our Helmet? Also what do you think about using Elijah Chatman as a lead blocker/fullback in goal line situations since he has played there before?

Ed says: Don, I would love if the the organization went back to having GIANTS on the helmet. I have never been a fan of the lowercase ny, especially now with the team playing in New Jersey. I think it would take a uniform overhaul that does not seem to be on the horizon.

As for Chatman at fullback, it is a fun thought. Honestly, though, Chatman has a fight on his hands to make this roster even though he was a pleasant surprise a season ago. Let’s see if he makes the roster first. I wouldn’t mind seeing him as a short-yardage blocker, and he actually did take a few reps at fullback during a walk-through portion of Thursday’s practice. Whether that was just for fun, or a sign of things to come we will find out.

‘GiantTrojan’ asks: In lieu of Jim Irsay passing away, I read somewhere that each year each NFL team needs to identify a successor in case the owner passes away. Which makes me wonder who will run the Giants if something happens to John Mara and/or Steve Tisch.

Both John Mara and Steve Tisch are in their 70s, respectively. While both appear to be healthy and hopefully will stay that way, what exactly is the succession plan if one or both die or become incapacitated? Are their children being groomed to run the franchise?

Ed says: You are correct that each year the NFL requires teams to provide an updated franchise succession plan in the event at owner dies. Thing is, that information is not made public.

The Giants are the only team in the NFL with dual ownership, with the Mara and Tisch families each having 50%.

On the Mara side, Tim McDonnell is Wellington Mara’s grandson and John Mara’s nephew. He is the team’s Director of Player Personnel and has been part of the organization for 12 years. Chris Mara is currently a senior personnel consultant and not necessarily involved in the day-to-day operations, though he has been in the past.

Both might be in position to ascend if something happened to John Mara.

The Tisch side is really an unknown. Steve Tisch’s brother, Jonathan, is Giants’ treasurer. His sister, Laurie, is on the Board of Directors. Steve Tisch has four surviving children.

Doug Mollin asks: Seems most every position group on the Giants is at least marginally better than last season. The one concern I have is Gano. I’d hate for the kicking game to turn out to be the reason we win 4 games instead of 7 or 8. Do you see this as a flaw in an otherwise solid off-season? Do you think they’ll bring in real competition to training camp?

Ed says: Doug, I share the concern about Graham Gano. He is 38 years old and coming off two injury-shortened seasons. Worse yet, those injuries were to his legs.

Gano has had a fantastic career and remains reliable, when healthy. I do, however, have concerns about whether he can stay healthy. I also have concerns about whether age and injury have taken away enough leg strength that longer field goals become a question mark. In five seasons with the Giants, Gano is an astounding 25 of 31 (80.7%) from beyond 50 yards. I’m not sure he still brings that to the table.

I was a bit surprised Gano was not an offseason cap cut, which could save the Giants $4.415 million against the cap. Good kickers, though, are not easy to find. The times Gano has been injured the past two seasons have shown that. As of now, the Giants are choosing to ride with what they know rather than climb aboard the kicker train and see where it goes.

I think the Giants will monitor how Gano kicks the ball this spring and into training camp, and then make a decision.

Mark Cicio asks: I wrote this in the comment section on Friday.

“I know it’s still only May, we haven’t played a game, and we still have a stink about us from the previous seasons.

But it feels different this year. To me it feels like the early 1980’s. A feeling that we are beginning to come out of the wilderness. Not that we are gonna be world beaters this year or next. But the future looks brighter than it has for quite a bit.”

What do you think? You have been following this team for as long as I have, and seen the many ups and downs. I would be interested if you feel the same way.

Ed says: Mark, it is tricky because while there is a sense of newness around the Giants and a feeling that this group is much-improved from the team that went 3-14 a year ago, there is also the knowledge in the background that if things go horribly wrong again that changes could be on the horizon.

Some of that is because the cloud around Daniel Jones has been lifted. There was also a sense of “making due” with Jones. Whatever Russell Wilson still is, and whatever Jaxson Dart might eventually be, there is a sense of excitement about quarterback that has not existed for a while.

There is also a sense that Joe Schoen has built a young core that could be a sturdy foundation for the future.

Of course, if the Giants go out on the field and stink up the joint again all those good feelings will evaporate.

Matthew Annunziata asks: My question revolves around Evan Neal and the OL. The first practice media had access to, it was noted that Evan Neal was practicing at LG with the 2nd string. Then, at the 2nd practice, with Runyan and Van Roten not practicing, Evan Neal was practicing with the first string, but again at LG.

I do believe at one-point Runyan mentioned that he preferred to play RG. Based on what you’ve seen and heard, also obviously depending on how everything pans out between now and the regular season, are the Giants thinking of perhaps at one point having Neal at LG and Runyan at RG?

Ed says: Matthew, it’s funny that you ask that. While watching practice on Thursday that is something Patricia Traina of Giants on SI and I were discussing.

I would say anything is possible. I don’t want to say it is likely or that the Giants are leaning that way. Thursday was the first time we saw Neal take reps this offseason during a team practice period. We don’t know what has happened during other OTAs. Perhaps Neal is practicing on both sides.

This is something for us to monitor, and something we will ask coach Brian Daboll about next week when we have access. Neal on the left does make some sense if the Giants are convinced he can handle guard. He played that spot for a year at Alabama, and Runyan did express a preference for the right side during the spring a year ago — though that might have just been the politically correct answer since that’s where he was lined up at the time.

Adam Jacobs asks: Sad day last week upon learning of the passing of Dave Klein, long time Giants beat writer for the Star Ledger. I was wondering if you had any good stories of your interactions with him over the years. While he was a terrific writer, he also had a biting sense of humor. I’m sure any Giants fan from the ‘70s and ‘80s is saddened by his passing.

Ed says: Adam, I have known of Dave Klein since the 1980s when I was sports editor of The Record in Troy, N.Y. and we used to use Klein’s Giants stories written for the Associated Press.

I did not, though, know Dave very well. By the time I was covering the Giants Dave was rarely around. When he was, however, you knew it. Dave was not a quiet person, and you always felt — and heard — his presence.

I just hope that when I am gone — which will happen sooner than I want to think about — Giants fans familiar with my work remember me as fondly as they remember Dave.

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