Big Blue View Mailbag: Free agency, NFL Draft and more

Let's take a break from talking about the NFL combine and see what questions are on your mind these days in this week's 'Big Blue View Mailbag.' As always e-mail your questions bigblueview@gmail.com or tweet them to @bigblueview with the hashtag #bbvmailbag. Now, on with your questions and my, hopefully, intelligent answers.

Q: it's obvious that our O-Line needs the biggest fix but outside of that, can you agree that drafting an impact LB to pair along with Beason (granted we bring him back), and keeping Tuck and Rolle would go a long way in getting us back to a top flight D?? (Which would also translate into helping our offense) -- Sexyscottish

A: Yes, I can agree with that. I don't know, however, if the Giants will agree with that. I think you can argue that an upgrade at corner opposite Prince Amukamara is just as important as an upgrade at linebacker. You can also argue that the Giants need to focus most of their offseason on rebuilding their offense. The Giants have needs in a lot of places and linebacker is just one of them.

Q: What is expected of David Wilson in this West Coast Offense? No one is talking about him. Thanks. -- 'NewYork'

A: Well, there are a few things to address there. First, despite optimism that Wilson will be ready for training camp we really have no idea what will happen with him. Head coach Tom Coughlin said "I really don't know the answer to that question" when asked on Friday about Wilson's potential availability. The Giants certainly cannot be planning an offense built around Wilson.

The second part of that question is the whole idea that the Giants will run a 'West Coast' offense. Coughlin said Friday that new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo "does not describe himself as West Coast." Coughlin has always believed in a balanced attack with vertical elements to the passing game, and it sounds as though those elements will still be staples of the Giants' offense. "He [McAdoo] thinks more in terms of the ball going vertical or down the field if the opportunities present themselves," Coughlin said. So, let's pump the brakes on the assumption the Giants will run a West Coast offense and just wait and see what transpires.

Q: Now that the Giants have a new offensive coordinator, does union rules allow him to contact Eli now and start going over some of the schemes he plan on implementing for the upcoming season or is this prohibited by the league and the union? -- rbman3

A: Teams have a nine-week offseason program in the current Collective Bargaining Agreement. Teams with returning head coaches have a 10-week window for those workouts. Teams with new coaches get a 12-week window, meaning basically that players get a couple of extra weeks to dive into the playbook. That window does not extend to teams with new coordinators. The CBA says:

"Prior to the commencement of the Club's official offseason workout program: (i) players may not receive daily workout payments or workout bonuses of any kind, and may not be paid or reimbursed expenses for travel, board or lodging (ii) players are not permitted to participate in Club-supervised workouts, Club-supervised practices, group or individual meetings with coaches, group or individual film study with coaches, or group or individual playbook study with coaches."

Q: What supplemental picks will the Giants receive if Nicks, Tuck and Joseph sign with other teams as free agents? -- Gordon Phillips

A: That is unknown at this time. Besides, supplemental picks for this year's free agents would be apportioned in the 2015 NFL Draft. The supplemental picks the Giants get this May are based on the results of the 2013 free agency period. Here is one compensatory pick projection.

Q: What is your understanding of Chris Mara's role in scouting and player personnel? We hear about Jerry Reese and Marc Ross, but what about the Senior Vice President, Player Personnel? Doesn't he bear some of the responsibility for non-performing draft choices? Exactly what does he do? What is his authority and thus accountability? -- John R. Berti

A: Mara is Senior Vice President of Player Evaluation. Do I know exactly what that means, what he does and how much responsibility he actually has? No, I don't.

If you believe the Giants' drafts have not been good enough in recent years the guy you should really be pointing a finger isn't Mara. It's not general manager Jerry Reese, either. It is Marc Ross, the vice president of player evaluation. That's a fancy title that really means Ross is in charge of the college scouting. It is his job, ultimately, to evaluate college talent and make recommendations to Reese. If the scouting department isn't bringing the right players to Reese and Coughlin that is on Ross.