5 questions for... Bob Papa
SiriusXM host and Giants radio play-by-play man Bob Papa talks Big Blue training camp with The Post’s Justin Terranova. Q: What does Ben McAdoo have to accomplish this training camp?
A: The challenge is to grab everyone’s attention and make it clear he is now the head coach and not the offensive coordinator. But I think what they did in the offseason has already bridged that gap. He definitely has his own voice and his own way of handling things. So, I don’t think him transitioning will be one of those situations where the defensive guys don’t even know him.
Q: How have you seen his relationship with Eli Manning grow over the past two years?
A: Peyton Manning’s preparation is legendary, but Eli’s is as intense as his brother was. And coach McAdoo is a football junkie. Both of them are all about the game and Xs and Os and “How we can do this better.” McAdoo is not a politician. There are some coaches who are like that, but not McAdoo.
Q: How important is Victor Cruz and his health to this team?
A: When they drafted Sterling Shepard, that was their safety net because he has a lot of the similar skills as Cruz. The Giants don’t need Victor Cruz to be the player he was in 2011; they have Odell Beckham. If you get Cruz back at 85 percent of what he was and Shepard continues to grow, you have the opportunity for a pretty prolific offense. Everything I’ve seen from Shepard has impressed, and those I’ve talked to in the Giants organization have been wowed by him.
Q: Has anyone jumped out at you during the spring workouts?
A: I’ve been really impressed with what I’ve seen out of Eli Apple. I’ve talked to his col- lege coach, Eli’s a gym rat, a filmstudy guy and he just moves like a pro. He’s going to have his moments in camp and the preseason where he makes rookie mistakes, but sometimes you watch guys that come in and they look like they belong — and Eli Apple looks like he belongs. A lot of that has to do with his preparation. Q: What is your biggest concern for the Giants? A: The big question mark is Jason Pierre-Paul. He made an immediate impact when he came back last season, freeing up Robert Ayers, but JPP could have had seven sacks but he couldn’t bring people down. I am not going to say he won’t be able to do that stuff now (with a new glove on his damaged right hand), but until I see him do it, I am not going to know if it’s going to happen. Can he use that hand in a way that is functional? If he can, they can be lightsout defensively up front.