EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – The New York Giants found themselves in a cycle of replacing their head coach every two years. They broke that trend on Monday. This year they have to replace everyone else instead.
That's just a slight exaggeration after a tumultuous start to the offseason on Monday. Head coach Brian Daboll will be the rare Giants coach to reach a third season after his predecessors Ben McAdoo, Pat Shurmur and Joe Judge were fired within two years. But Daboll will have to do a lot of heavy lifting as he begins third grade.
Daboll must replace defensive coordinator Wink Martindale (resigned), special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey (fired), running backs coach Jeff Nixon (who is leaving to become Syracuse's offensive coordinator), offensive line coach Bobby Johnson ( fired) and replacing outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins (fired), defensive assistant Kevin Wilkins (fired) and strength coach Craig Fitzgerald (who is leaving to become Florida's strength coach).
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Of all these vacancies, Martindale's departure is the most consequential. It was considered a coup when Daboll became the first head coach to hire Martindale as his defense head coach two years ago.
But the relationship quickly dissolved. The Giants' surprising success largely masked tensions last year, but as losses piled up this season, tensions grew.
Daboll made weak attempts to draw attention to the issue by joking about a fight over pizza and a forced game ball reward for Martindale on the same day a report from Jay Glazer of Fox Sports drew attention to the broken relationship. But in reality, the relationship was contentious until the end.
Daboll shifted the responsibility to Martindale by stating during his season-ending press conference Monday morning that it was his “expectation” that the coordinator would return. Daboll made the comment despite revealing moments later that he had not yet had a conversation with Martindale about his future. That didn't matter because Daboll had already tried to cause a split on Martindale. Daboll even referenced Martindale's previous comments about how much he loved working for the Giants.
“I know Wink talks about it as a destination and things like that,” Daboll said.
The Wilkins brothers' firings were reported The athlete five hours after Daboll's comments. An hour later, news of Martindale's resignation broke. The timing of how everything played out internally is unclear, but the dismissal of the Wilkins brothers was clearly a sign that Martindale's days in East Rutherford were numbered.
The brothers began their coaching careers at the lowest levels in Baltimore and rose through the ranks under Martindale's tutelage. Drew Wilkins became Martindale's right-hand man as the duo worked closely together to design the defense's exotic blitz packages.
With Martindale and his protégés no longer there, the pressure on Daboll increases. The honeymoon was already over, but now he must find an upgrade to one of the league's most respected defensive coordinators.
It would be one thing if Martindale was fired for poor performance. But this relationship broke down due to a personality conflict. Had Daboll made things work with Martindale, he wouldn't have a huge hole to fill on his coaching staff.
Here are some additional thoughts on a wild start to the offseason:
A messy divorce?
Don't expect an amicable split between Martindale and the Giants. His contract runs until 2024, so despite reports of demand for his services, he is not free to pursue any job he wants.
If Martindale attracts interest as a head coach, which seems unlikely, he can pursue those opportunities. But it's hard to imagine the Giants letting him take any defensive coordinator job of his choosing.
The last thing the Giants want is Martindale going to Philadelphia whose defense has disintegrated over time. For this reason, a shootout was unlikely as it would have opened the way to Martindale via I-95.
Retirement is a much better outcome for the Giants as it keeps them in control of Martindale's next stop. Depending on how acrimonious the breakup is, it seems like the two sides should be able to mutually part ways if Martindale receives a coordinator offer from a team that has the Giants' approval.
Start again
Martindale arrived with a reputation as a mad genius whose blitz packages stunned opposing coaches and quarterbacks after leading the Baltimore Ravens' defense for four successful seasons. Martindale used this style in New York to varying degrees of effectiveness. But there was no question which unit was the strongest on this season's 6-11 team.
The Giants' 31 takeaways were the most in the league. Their 21 takeaways in the last seven games have been the biggest key to a 4-3 finish behind backup quarterbacks Tyrod Taylor and Tommy DeVito.
Still, it's possible Daboll could find an upgrade to Martindale's highly variable defense. In all of Martindale's creative offenses this season, the Giants allowed 640 yards in a 49-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys and 524 yards in a 31-16 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
But the change in coordinators almost sets up a slow start to next season as players adjust to a schedule that will certainly be different. The defense got off to a slow start this season because players respected Martindale and embraced his coaching. Daboll could lose some support in the locker room if the new defensive coordinator can't keep up with Martindale's ability to handle players and his results on the field.
Will Daboll look internally?
Daboll was praised for stepping out of his comfort zone when assembling his first staff. That approach appeared to be a resounding success, as strong coaching played a critical role in the Giants' surprise playoff berth last season.
However, one may wonder whether Daboll will adjust his hiring process this time around. Before he hired her two years ago, he had no relationship with Martindale, McGaughey or the Wilkins brothers.
As Daboll's position continues to heat up, will he throw his weight around again or will he look for familiar faces to fill key roles on his staff? If he chooses familiarity, come internal options (DL coach Andre Patterson, DB coach Jerome Henderson) or those with previous professional experience (former Buffalo Bills DC Leslie Frazier, Philadelphia Eagles senior defensive assistant Matt Patricia, Bills DL coach Eric Washington). ) for use at the top of the list for defensive coordinators.
What does Mike Kafka's future look like?
Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka was aligned with Martindale in Daboll's “expectation” that the coordinators would return. This comment obviously says little about Kafka's future, which has not received the same attention as Martindale's.
Kafka is a much greener trainer with a more reserved personality than Martindale, so less is known about his relationship with Daboll. However, it is known that the 36-year-old Kafka left Kansas City to serve as a play caller for the Giants.
That seemed like a smart move for career advancement when Kafka fielded interview requests from four teams with head coach vacancies last offseason. But interest in Kafka has declined significantly after the Giants fell to 30th in scoring, and Daboll's involvement in the offense increased as the season progressed.
Daboll never fully recognized Kafka as game manager this season, although there were times when the head coach had a greater influence on matchday. A full-time move to take over play calling hasn't been ruled out by Daboll, who got the Giants job based on his success as a play caller in four years as Buffalo's offensive coordinator.
It's hard to imagine that Kafka would be interested in sticking around if he were stripped of his playing duties, so that's another situation to keep an eye on despite Daboll's “expectation.”
Filling the other vacancies
Monday began with Daboll announcing the firings of McGaughey and Johnson. McGaughey's firing was no surprise. The kicking game has been too inconsistent over the last two seasons after Daboll retained McGaughey, who survived two head coach changes after returning to the Giants in 2018 on Shurmur's team.
The offensive line's dismal performance tested Johnson, but some sources wondered if Daboll would fire Johnson because of their relationship. They worked together for three years in Buffalo, and Daboll personally selected Johnson to take on the crucial role of offensive line coach with the Giants.
Johnson's firing shows results outweigh sentiment, although Daboll declined to provide insight into the decision, so it's possible the move was the result of pressure from above.
Whatever the reason for Johnson's firing, it is imperative that Daboll hires his next O-line coach. The search should start with figuring out how much it would take to lure Mike Munchak to New Jersey. The 63-year-old Munchak has an extensive track record as a top offensive coach. He has been out of coaching for two years but has expressed interest in returning to the sidelines.
Another name to remember with ties to Daboll and the Giants: Dave DeGuglielmo. He was the Giants' assistant O-line coach from 2004 to 2008 and returned as O-line coach in the second half of the 2020 season after Judge fired Marc Colombo. DeGuglielmo worked with Daboll for three years in Miami and New England.
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Another exit?
The possible departures are not limited to the coaching staff. Assistant General Manager Brandon Brown received an interview request from the Carolina Panthers for their GM position.
Brown, 35, is considered a rising star in the industry and is one of eight candidates for the Carolina job. If Brown gets the job, the Giants will receive a third-round comp pick in each of the next two drafts to develop a minority GM.
(Photo by Brian Daboll: Cooper Neill / Getty Images)
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