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It’s time for this week’s ‘Friday Five’ with Pat Traina. Don’t forget to drop by Inside Football for my answers to this same set of questions.
Question: During our chat with Sage Rosenfels on ‘Locked on Giants’ he called Davis Webb a “big mystery” and raised the possibility he might not have a future with the Giants. What’s your guess right now on Webb’s future?
Pat says: I think they need to find out exactly what they have in him before they do anything else, so I think they will spend this year doing that. What’s going to be interesting to me is if they decide to draft a quarterback in the first round, do they go into the 2018 season with two backups that have zero snaps between them? I mean, I can’t see them carrying four quarterbacks into the regular-season, but Webb sure does pose an interesting dilemma and like others have mentioned, I think it was a huge mistake that the previous coaching staff didn’t find a way to get him into a game to at least get an inkling of how far the kid has come. No disrespect to Geno Smith, but everyone already knew what he brought to the table, so when he was named the starter over Eli, that was the last straw in a string of head-scratching moves made by the previous coaching staff.
Question: The NFL Combine is coming up. Talk about a player or two you are really hoping to learn more about?
Pat says: I think the quarterbacks will be a big focus for anyone who covers the Giants, but I want to learn more about the linebackers and offensive linemen, two of the biggest weaknesses on the team right now. I don’t have a specific name in mind right now but given all that’s been written about the quarterbacks and their pros and cons, I feel as though we know quite a bit about them already whereas we don’t know as much about some of the premium names at the other positions.
Question: The Giants need help at linebacker, but outside of Nigel Bradham the free agent pool appears thin. Is there someone you would like to see the Giants pursue?
Pat says: If they can’t land Bradham, I’d look at Anthony Hitchens of the Cowboys. Hitchens is coming off his best season and he’s versatile enough to play all the spots, so I would certainly make an inquiry to gauge his interest and price.
Question: Ex-Giant draft boss Marc Ross said Thursday that Baker Mayfield is his favorite quarterback in the upcoming draft. Does the thought of Mayfield as a Giants excite you, or make you cringe?
Pat says: With all due respect, Marc Ross is the same guy who had a hand in all those busted Giants draft classes. So while I appreciate his opinions, I’m not sure I’d put a lot of stock in them especially now that he’s no longer with the team and hasn’t had a chance to work with Dave Gettleman the general manager to get to really know how Gettleman might view quarterbacks.
As for Baker Mayfield, there’s no question that he has talent and is going to be a successful quarterback in the NFL.
However, I’m am a big believer in the intangibles — does he have the temperament for this market? And that’s something you won’t be able to gauge unless you sit and talk with the guy and see how he carries himself.
So, you can bet that I’ll make it a point to visit his podium at the combine because right now there are conflicting reports about his temperament and whether he’d be able to flourish in the New York market. I want to draw my own conclusions first before commenting.
Question: Since Damon Harrison is looking for shows to binge watch, what are you recommending?
Pat says: The Crown on Netflix. I can’t say enough good things about that show, from the acting to the sets to the writing to the pace. I’m a big history fan (plus I must confess that ever since Princess Diana burst onto the scene, I’ve been a fan of the Royal Family.)
Anyway, I recently got my husband, a man who would rather watch detective shows and crime stories instead of historical accounts, to sit and watch The Crown, and he is absolutely hooked.
I don’t know if the show is 100 percent historically accurate but it’s been great gaining additional insight into some of the biggest world-changing events in history through that show while also getting a glimpse into the “Establishment” that is the British Royal Family.