Couple of more New York Giants Twitter mailbag questions while you await Game 2 of the NBA Finals...
@DanGrazianoESPN What do you think about Jake Long joining the @Giants #nygmail
— Alexis Robles (@alexrobles312) June 4, 2015@DanGrazianoESPN: The entire Jake Long situation boils down to the player's health. Long has had two consecutive seasons end with torn ACLs, and he's about seven months removed from his most recent surgery. So when the Giants had Long in for a visit a couple of weeks ago, the purpose was to check in with him, see how his rehab was going, introduce him to the coaches, show him the facility, etc. so that when and if he was physically cleared to play, they'd have done some advance work on wooing him. They continue to check in with him and could sign him. But as much fun as it may be to imagine a player with Long's resume as part of the solution at tackle with Will Beatty out 5-to-6 months, you have to allow for the strong possibility Long won't be able to make it back to play at all -- for the Giants or anyone else. And even if he does, there's no guarantee he can be effective given his health issues. Long-to-the-Giants is by no means off the table, but just because he was in for a visit recently doesn't mean they're about to sign him or ever will.
will Rueben Randle play a big role this year if Cruz and Beckham are fully healthy? and what about Parker, Washington #nygmail
— Bene Scholz (@bene1896) June 5, 2015@DanGrazianoESPN: I don't think Rueben Randle's role or position depends on Victor Cruz's or Odell Beckham Jr.'s health. If everyone's healthy, Beckham and Randle start on the outside and Cruz in the slot. The Giants are in three-receiver formations 80 percent of the time in Ben McAdoo's offense, and even when they go down to two, I wouldn't be surprised to see Cruz be the one taken off the field, especially if they're easing him and his knee back in. Randle finished very strong last year, catching 12 passes for 290 yards in the final two games of the season. He clashed with Tom Coughlin and the coaching staff a few times last year over midweek practice and timeliness issues, but they all seemed to work through that, and things were better by season's end. So Randle is a big part of the plans, for sure. As for Preston Parker and 2014 preseason hero Corey Washington, the competition for wide receiver spots is going to be really tough. They're committed to Dwayne Harris due to his special teams value, and they're not likely to cut sixth-round pick Geremy Davis. So that's five wide receiver spots filled right there, if Cruz is healthy enough to claim one. I doubt they can carry seven, which leaves one spot for Parker, Washington, Marcus Harris and Julian Talley to fight over. Of that group, Parker made the biggest contribution last year, and Washington disappointed coaches with his effort on special teams. It should be a spirited training camp battle for those backup wideout spots, and if Cruz really is ready to go Week 1, then it's going to be even tougher for those guys to make the team.
