Big Blue View Mailbag: Ryan Nassib, Jonathan Martin, more

This week's Big Blue View Mailbag features questions about Ryan Nassib, Jonathan Martin and more. Let's get started.

Q: Why did #NYG totally neglect Nassib last year? -- @UpperWSGuy via Twitter

A: Here's the thing -- I don't believe at all that the Giants totally neglected Ryan Nassib last season. If you listen to Tom Coughlin the plan never was for Nassib to play during 2013, it was for him to sit and learn. If you watched Nassib last preseason and throughout training camp -- which I did -- there is no way he was ready to play and succeed in 'real' NFL games. That would have probably done him, and the Giants, more harm than good.

What we don't know -- and can't know -- is whether Kevin Gilbride and Mike Sullivan were able to devote time to his development throughout the season.

The better question to ask with Nassib is 'why did the Giants draft him in the first place?' It seems impossible that he would be their quarterback of the future -- Eli Manning has too much time left and is owed too much money. They didn't need him and could have used fourth- and sixth-round picks who might have had a chance to play. If Nassib doesn't win the No. 2 job in 2014 this pick looks like a disaster.

Q: Can you refresh my memory on what was Eli's draft scouting. I thought strong support as west coast QB. -- @Rico_Dolor via Twitter

A: Former Giants' general manager Ernie Accorsi is the one who was convinced Eli could lead the Giants to Super Bowl titles, about which he was correct. Whether or not Manning is a "rare" talent, which Accorsi thought, is debatable. Accorsi's full report does not discuss anything about the West Coast offense, or schemes in general. The report is eerily accurate about Manning, including forecasting the types of mistakes he has made as a pro. [Read the full report on Giants.com] Here is another college scouting report on Manning, this one a 2002 report from Tony Pauline, who remains one of the best NFL Draft analysts in the business.

Q: Do we take Mike Evans [in the 2014 NFL Draft] if he is still on the board? -- @NYsportsHK via Twitter

A: It is way too early in the process to hone in on a specific player as a target for the Giants, or any other team, in the upcoming draft.

We don't know for sure yet whether or not Hakeem Nicks will leave the Giants in free agency, though it is a good bet that he will. We don't know if the Giants will add any receivers in free agency. We don't know if the Giants will be able to address other needs -- like offensive line, tight end or cornerback -- in free agency. We haven't had the NFL Scouting Combine or Pro Days yet.

There is a looooong way to go, and much to be learned, before we get there. That said, right now Evans appears to be a player worth paying attention to.

Q: Can Giants afford Jon Asamoah, Ben Tate, James Jones and Andrew Quarless? -- @jrivera875 via Twitter

A: Highly unlikely that they can afford them all. Their cap space is not going to be great, no matter what moves they make before free agency. Tate, Jones and Quarless are all players they might consider. Asamoah I'm not sure about. If I recall correctly he lost his job with the Chiefs last year. Giants need quality, not other people's leftovers.

Q: With the impending trade or release Jonathan Martin do you see the Giants making a move or signing him (cheaply considering he hasn't played this year and he is still young) to have him play Right Tackle and move Pugh to Guard or to Left Tackle if Beatty doesn't recover in time? Why or why not? -- Daniel Vazquez via e-mail

A: First of all, Martin is still property of the Miami Dolphins. We don't know for certain if they will release him, although that might be the best thing for all sides. As for the Giants going after Martin I don't see it. Even though the Wells Report backs Martin's version of what happened between Martin and Richie Incognito, it also reveals a great deal about Martin's personal fragility. I honestly hope this mess does not end Martin's career, but it might. Bullied or not, many teams will look at Martin, see a weak person and want nothing to do with him. That is sad, but it is the reality of the NFL.

As for the premise of adding another tackle and moving Pugh inside, I believe that is possible. More likely, I believe, is the Giants leaving Pugh where he is and bringing in players to solidify guard and center.

Q: Ben Tate -- Do you think he might be the perfect free agent for the Giants? -- Pink Flamingo

A: I like many things about Tate. He is talented, he will only be 26 next season and he has fewer than 500 career carries so he should have a lot left in the tank. There are a couple of things I don't like, though. His price tag will likely be enormous because many teams will be in the bidding, and I am a little concerned about his durability. He has yet to play a full season in four years.

Q: Can things be fixed in one year or is this a multi-year rebuilding process? -- The Gifford

A: If by "fixed" you mean 'can the Giants make the playoffs in 2014?' then the answer is, of course, they can be fixed in one year? The Giants are not the Jacksonville Jaguars or the downtrodden Houston Texans. Fix the offensive line, get better play from Eli Manning, get a completely healthy season from Jason Pierre-Paul and stop treating the ball like a hot potato and the Giants can be right back in the playoffs. If you are looking for the Giants to suddenly morph into the Seattle Seahawks or San Francisco 49ers, teams that are set up for long runs of success over the next few years, that will take some time. You can't fix every problem in one draft or one free agency period, but it's not like the Giants were so far away in 2013 that a playoff berth in 2014 is out of reach. Besides, this is the NFL where there is so much parity the difference from top to bottom is really razor thin.

[NOTE: If you sent in a question and I didn't use it, don't despair. I received more good questions than I could use, and I will hold some for future 'mailbag' posts.]