Big Blue View mailbag: Sam Beal, Elerson Smith, more NYG questions

While we wait for Saturday’s New York Giants vs. New York Jets preseason kickoff let’s open the Big Blue View Mailbag and see what questions we can answer.

Jeff Newman asks: Ed, with Levine Toilolo out for the year I’m wondering about his replacement. Since he is primarily a blocking TE why couldn’t the Giants simply use one of their back-up linemen in those situations?

Ed says: Well, the snarky response would be ‘have you seen any of those backup offensive linemen block?’ But, I’m never snarky.

Of course, they could do that. I don’t know how it’s going to play, but in Friday’s 53-man roster projection I only have three tight ends making the roster. I’m sure they would like to keep four, but we’ll see. Cole Hikutini has caught some passes from Daniel Jones. I don’t necessarily think that’s because he has been impressive. It’s more that he has managed to practice every day, and somebody has to run the tight end routes.

Jason Byam asks: If you could sit down and have a beer with any former or current Giants player who would it be?

Ed says: Jason, quite honestly I would not pick a player at all. I would pick Tom Coughlin. There are so many layers to Coughlin both personally and professionally. I would love to sit and talk both football and life with Coughlin, and really get to know him.

Ed says: Billy, the first name that comes to mind is rookie cornerback Rodarius Williams. He has far exceeded expectations thus far for a sixth-round pick, and his teammates have noticed.

On offense, I’m looking forward to seeing David Sills. He is having a second straight solid training camp and I’m rooting for him to make the roster.

Ed says: Beal really hasn’t seemed to perform all that well in the practices I have witnessed. Especially early in camp he seemed to get beaten quite often. Maybe not as much lately. Beals’s most impressive performance of camp came facing the media, talking about opting out, the gun charges and his disappointing career to date. To his credit, he was pretty honest and introspective.

Bruce Frazer asks: Elerson Smith was drafted in the 4th round with thoughts of hidden potential. Although he played small school ball his production as a pass rusher is intriguing and worth a 4th round shot. When he is finally able to get on the field do you have any insight as to how good he might become?

Ed says: Bruce, unfortunately we don’t know any more about Smith than we did before training camp started. He participated in Wednesday’s walk-through practice, and that is the first time we have seen him on the field during training camp.

As a Day 3 pick, I think Smith was drafted as a high-upside developmental player. go back and read this piece I did on Smith during the offseason. It’s really the best look we’ve done at the kid’s path to the NFL and what people think he might become.

Ed says: Sean, it’s not good. Over The Cap has the Giants with $2.584 million in cap space, 31st in the league. Now, that is fluid at this point because of the ever-changing roster, but the Giants don’t have the ability to just go out and throw money around. They were aggressive in the offseason — they had to be. They will be creative if they need to be and find a way to make a move, but that is the cap situation as of now.