2011 NFL Free Agency: What Is Up With Kevin Boss?

If reports coming out of Oakland are correct it does not look like free-agent tight end Kevin Boss will be joining the Oakland Raiders. So, does that mean Boss will soon be back with the New York Giants?

Giants coach Tom Coughlin certainly hopes so. Coughlin admitted Thursday he had been trading voicemails with Boss. His message? "Kevin, come on, get in here."

There have been no indications at this point that the 6-foot-7, 255-pound fifth-year player has had suitors beyond the Raiders and Giants. Boss has been the Giants' starting tight end for the past three seasons, and has 119 catches in his four-year career.

One more report coming out of Oakland indicates that Boss would like to sign there, but that Al Davis is reluctant to make the move.

In Boss' absence, the Giants have been working on getting third-year player Travis Beckum more involved in the offense. Beckum has been impressive the past couple of practices, making several nice catches.

Coughlin said Thursday that they would have to adjust some of their blocking schemes if Beckum were in the lineup full time.

"You'd have to change some things in the run game to be able to do that," Coughlin said. " He has a special skill set and certainly we'd like to take full advantage of that skill set."

During Thursday's practice, the first in which all signed players could practice, the Giants often lined up with Beckum split a few yards off the line of scrimmage and Bear Pascoe lined up as either a blocking tight end or coming out of the backfield as a lead blocker -- more of an H-Back type role.