K\u00f6lnerbigblue asks: Ed, as a follow up to one of last week\u2019s Mailbag questions, has there been any discussion on where Nagy will be on game day? While I appreciate coordinators getting a bird\u2019s eye view of the field up in the booth, I prefer to see a coach directly interacting with the players on the sideline. I know there is no right\/wrong answer, just preferences and coaching styles. What\u2019s your opinion on this and what have you heard from this staff?<\/p>\n
Ed says: K\u00f6lner, I don\u2019t recall any discussion of that. I went back through some of the transcripts, and don\u2019t see it discussed. I do think Matt Nagy\u2019s history is calling plays from the sideline. Here is some really interesting research on the topic:<\/p>\n
I am a big fan of coaches calling plays from the sideline where they can feel the game and interact personally with the players.<\/p>\n
FirstWave asks: Please explain why some wide receivers, whether they be younger or older, cannot play special teams? What is prohibiting them? They are football players. Special teams is part of football.<\/p>\n
Ed says: \u2018First\u2019, some wide receivers are really good special teamss players. Dalen Cambre and Ryan Miller on the Giants are good in that area. Ex-Giant Cody Core was really good. Devin Thomas, a wide receiver, was a good special teamer who made a massive fumble recovery for the Giants in the 2012 NFC Championship Game. Steve Tasker was a wide receiver who made the Hall of Fame as a special teams player.<\/p>\n
Defensive players are generally more used to the contact, the physicality, the tackling that is required. Can you see Jalin Hyatt or 5-foot-9, 162-pound Calvin Austin defeating blockers and making tackles? I can\u2019t. A team could put them out there to cover kicks or punts, but more than likely they would be a liability. It is really about the skillset and mentality.<\/p>\n
Steve Williams asks: Hi Ed, I have a question regarding Marcus Mbow. Last season he showed promise as a rookie swing tackle and is the likely backup for both Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eluemenor this year. However, one of the points that several people have recently made was that Mbow needs to increase his play strength along with adding some bulk. Based on the OTA\u2019s this spring, did you see any indication that Mbow has in fact been hitting the weight room and the high-protein dinner table? And does his agility and quickness still look as good as it did at times last year?<\/p>\n
Ed says: Steve, I seem to get a lot of questions about Mbow and whether or not he looks stronger than he did a year ago. It isn\u2019t really a question I can answer heading into training camp.<\/p>\n
Remember, there are no pads \u2014 thus no hitting \u2014 during spring practices. Understand also that media is only at the facility for a maximum of six spring practices \u2014 three OTAs and three minicamp workouts. We do not get free reign to speak with whatever players we want, we are at the mercy of the Giants to give us two or three players each day in podium sessions. We have not spoken to Mbow.<\/p>\n
Whether he has added strength or bulk is something I will try to ascertain as camp moves along. I know there is a lot of interest, and I wish I had something real to tell you guys.<\/p>\n