Giants Owner: We Won’t Trade For Deshaun Watson
There will be plenty of new faces in the Giants’ locker room this year, but Deshaun Watson will not be among them. On Wednesday, owner John Mara told reporters that the Giants will not be trading for embattled Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). 
[RELATED: GM Says Watson “Likely” Done With Texans]
Mara cited the allegations against Watson and the Giants’ cap situation as reasons for staying out of the sweepstakes. But, beyond that, he says he is all in with Daniel Jones at QB.
“We do feel Daniel can play,” Mara said. “[And] we’ve done everything possible to screw this kid up.”
With new GM Joe Schoen at the helm, the Giants believe that they’ll be able to get Jones back on track. At his introductory press conference, Schoen said that he will be focused on upgrading the offensive line to better protect the QB and running back Saquon Barkley (Twitter link). Of course, that’s just the start, and Schoen will also have to weigh Barkley’s future beyond 2022 — the talented tailback has just one year let on his rookie deal.
And, before all of that, Schoen and Mara will have to hire a new head coach. Mara says he hopes to make it happen next week (Twitter link), though he won’t rush the process either.
As for Watson, the 26-year-old is “more than likely” done with the Texans, according to recent comments from GM Nick Caserio.
Bills’ Leslie Frazier Books Second Giants HC Interview
Not long after Brian Daboll concluded his second interview with the Giants, the now-Joe Schoen-run team will meet with the Bills’ defensive coordinator a second time.
Leslie Frazier will meet with the Giants for the second time in less than a week, with Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reporting (via Twitter) this second interview will occur Friday. Frazier previously spoke virtually with the Giants late last week.
Frazier, 62, has previous HC experience, from his time leading the Vikings in the early 2010s, and has attracted interest from multiple other teams during this cycle. Frazier interviewed with the Bears and Dolphins. Despite his early connection to the Bears and history with the franchise as part of their storied 1985 squad, Frazier is not believed to be a finalist for the Chicago HC gig.
Frazier worked with Schoen since their respective Buffalo arrivals in 2017. Daboll arrived in 2018. The Giants have zeroed in on both Bills top coordinators and Brian Flores for their HC job, and New York’s search will continue through at least Friday. Buffalo’s issues containing Kansas City’s high-powered offense in the teams’ historic divisional-round shootout aside, Frazier’s unit ranked first in both points and yards allowed this season. The Bills also deployed a top-three defense in 2019.
Here is how the Giants’ HC search looks as of Tuesday night:
- Lou Anarumo, defensive coordinator (Bengals): Interviewed 1/23
- Brian Daboll, offensive coordinator (Bills): Conducted second interview 1/25
- Brian Flores, former head coach (Dolphins): To interview 1/27
- Leslie Frazier, defensive coordinator (Bills): To conduct second interview 1/28
- Patrick Graham, defensive coordinator (Giants): To interview 1/26
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interviewed 1/24
Giants To Conduct Second HC Interview With Brian Daboll
The first finalist for the Giants’ head coach position has been revealed. As Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports (via Twitter), Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll will have a second interview with the team today.
Update (12:00pm CT): SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano tweets that Daboll’s interview will take place on Tuesday. 
[Related: Giants’ HC Search Beginning With Brian Daboll, Leslie Frazier]
Daboll was the first candidate to take part in the initial round of interviews with New York. That certainly didn’t come as a surprise, between the HC interest he’s generated with the Dolphins and the Bills connection to newly-hired general manager Joe Schoen. Widely believed to be a target for the Giants once Schoen was brought in, the 46-year-old had finished his initial interview within a matter of hours of his former Bills colleague being hired.
That first interview was conducted via teleconference with Schoen and co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch. This time, the meeting will take place in person; the same is expected to be true of New York’s first interview with Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, to take place today. Quinn, one of the most sought-after candidates in this year’s hiring cycle, has already been linked to five other HC vacancies around the league.
Worth noting is the fact that Daboll cannot be hired right away, regardless of the outcome of today’s interview. As NJ.com’s Darryl Slater tweets, the Giants still need to conduct at least one in-person interview with a minority candidate to remain in compliance with the Rooney Rule. It must involve someone from outside the organization, so their upcoming meeting with current DC Patrick Graham doesn’t factor into that total. The likeliest way to meet the requirement would be a second interview with Bills DC Leslie Frazier, whose first meeting with the front office was conducted electronically, or an in-person sit down with Brian Flores.
Steelers Request Interview With Giants DC Patrick Graham
The Steelers have begun an external search for their new defensive coordinator. The first name on the list of desired candidates is Giants DC Patrick Graham, whom the team has requested an interview with (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero). 
[Related: Steelers DC Keith Butler To Retire]
The news comes just one day after it was reported the team was expected to fill the vacancy internally. It was believed senior defensive assistant/secondary coach Teryl Austin, who had been in Pittsburgh for the past three seasons, would be promoted to DC, a position he had previously held with the Lions and Bengals. While he may still be hired, the team is clearly looking outside the organization as well.
Graham, meanwhile, has been with New York on two occasions. After seven years with the Patriots, he joined the Giants in 2016 as their defensive line coach. One-year stints in Green Bay and Miami followed – including, in the latter case, DC duties – before he came back to New York. His work with the Giants’ defense has earned him head coaching interest before, as he was on the Jets’ radar during the 2020 hiring cycle.
It is important to keep in mind that Graham will be interviewing with the Giants for their HC vacancy. While other names, such as Brian Daboll, Dan Quinn and Brian Flores are also in contention for the job, the fact that Graham is a candidate to take over in the Big Apple means the Steelers may have to keep looking for their next DC.
Updated 2022 NFL Draft Order
The Divisional Round has come to end, and after each game was decided on the final play, the season has come to a bitter end for another four teams. That brings the total number of squads locked into their first round draft position to 28. Interestingly, the Rams and 49ers are still standing after they each parted ways with top draft picks this past offseason. San Francisco’s first choice is currently slated to be 61st overall, while the Rams aren’t projected to be on the board until the 101st pick. For Los Angeles in particular, the decision is certainly paying off so far.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2021 standings, plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. For playoff teams, the order is determined by their postseason outcome and regular season record.
Here is the updated order after this weekend’s results:
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 3-14
- Detroit Lions: 3-13-1
- Houston Texans: 4-13
- New York Jets: 4-13
- New York Giants: 4-13
- Carolina Panthers: 5-12
- New York Giants(via Bears)
- Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
- Denver Broncos: 7-10
- New York Jets (via Seahawks)
- Washington Football Team: 7-10
- Minnesota Vikings: 8-9
- Cleveland Browns: 8-9
- Baltimore Ravens: 8-9
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Dolphins)
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Colts)
- Los Angeles Chargers: 9-8
- New Orleans Saints: 9-8
- Philadelphia Eagles: 9-8
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-7-1
- New England Patriots: 10-7
- Las Vegas Raiders: 10-7
- Arizona Cardinals: 11-6
- Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
- Buffalo Bills: 11-6
- Tennessee Titans: 12-5
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 13-4
- Green Bay Packers: 13-4
- Cincinnati Bengals: 10-7*
- Miami Dolphins (via 49ers)
- Detroit Lions (via Rams)
- Kansas City Chiefs: 12-5*
* = Remaining playoff teams
Giants Interview Lou Anarumo For HC Post
The Giants are interviewing Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo for their vacant head coaching position today, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter). This appears to be the first time Anarumo has ever generated HC interest.
Anarumo, 55, began his coaching career as the RB coach at Wagner College in 1989, and he joined the NFL ranks over 20 years later, becoming the Dolphins’ defensive backs coach in 2012. He was briefly promoted to defensive coordinator partway through the 2015 season and resumed his role as DB coach for the 2016-17 campaigns under Adam Gase.
He served in that same capacity for the Giants in 2018 before being hired as the Bengals’ DC in 2019. When he took the job, Cincinnati was coming off a season in which it finished dead-last in total defense. In his first two years working under head coach Zac Taylor, the Bengals still fielded bottom-10 defenses, and Anarumo’s unit wasn’t much better in 2021 in terms of yards allowed. However, the defense did perform well this year when it mattered most, including last night’s divisional round win over the Titans, which featured three interceptions of Tennessee QB Ryan Tannehill.
Anarumo, a New York native, has ties to the organization that go beyond his one year as DB coach. He and Big Blue’s new GM, Joe Schoen, spent a few years together with the Dolphins, and while Schoen’s connections to other head coach candidates — namely, Bills OC Brian Daboll and DC Leslie Frazier — are more recent and probably more meaningful, the new top exec clearly sees something in Anarumo worth exploring.
Here’s an updated list of the Giants’ HC candidates:
- Lou Anarumo, defensive coordinator (Bengals): Interviewed 1/23
- Brian Daboll, offensive coordinator (Bills): Interviewed 1/21
- Brian Flores, former head coach (Dolphins): Interview expected
- Leslie Frazier, defensive coordinator (Bills): Interviewed 1/22
- Patrick Graham, defensive coordinator (Giants): To interview
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): To interview 1/24
Giants To Interview DC Patrick Graham For HC Position
The Giants are considering an in-house candidate for the HC vacancy. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (via Twitter), the team is expected to interview defensive coordinator Patrick Graham for the position.
This is the first time this offseason that Graham has been connected to a head coach gig. Last offseason, he was connected to the Jets HC job.
Graham broke into coaching as a graduate assistant with Wagner College back in 2002. He slowly worked his way up the collegiate ranks and landed his first NFL gig with the Patriots in 2009. He served as Brian Flores‘ DC with with the Dolphins in 2019 before joining Joe Judge‘s first coaching staff with the Giants.
His work with the Giants is what has created the HC buzz. Despite not having a ton of individual talent to work with, Graham coaxed a top-10 performance out of his unit in 2020 in terms of points allowed, and though the New York defense struggled through much of the first half of 2021, the club had a few standout performances (including a three-game stretch where they yielded just 39 points despite facing the likes of Derek Carr and Patrick Mahomes). Graham’s reputation as a play-caller, along with his ability to forge strong relationships with his players, has attracted league-wide attention.
Graham is now the fifth name connected to the NYG vacancy, a list that also includes:
- Brian Daboll, offensive coordinator (Bills): Interviewed 1/21
- Brian Flores, former head coach (Dolphins): Mentioned as candidate
- Leslie Frazier, defensive coordinator (Bills): To interview 1/22
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interview requested
Giants’ HC Search Beginning With Brian Daboll, Leslie Frazier
Newly-hired Giants general manager Joe Schoen is wasting no time in beginning the team’s search for a new head coach. He has already completed an interview with Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, and is expected to hold another one tomorrow with Buffalo’s defensive coordinator, Leslie Frazier.
According to a team announcement, the Daboll interview has already been completed, just hours after the hiring of Schoen was officially announced. The 46-year-old met via teleconference with Schoen and co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch. It should come as a surprise to no one that Daboll, the Bills’ OC for the past four seasons, is the candidate with whom the search process is beginning. It was immediately reported that he would be one of the key targets for the Giants once Schoen landed the GM job.
Meanwhile, Frazier’s name is being linked to the HC vacancy for the first time. As Paul Schwartz of the New York Post reports (via Twitter), Frazier is expected to interview with the Giants on Saturday. Again, this is far from a surprise, given the Buffalo connection to Schoen. The 62-year-old has served in his current role for five years, overseeing the Bills’ defensive turnaround. He has already been interviewed by the Dolphins, and is also scheduled to meet with the Bears.
The other factor influencing the immediacy of these interviews, of course, is the fact that the Bills play on Sunday night. As Schwartz points out, any potential second interviews conducted prior to the Super Bowl could only take place if the first round was completed this weekend, something made easier by the fact that Schoen is still in Buffalo. The other two candidates linked to the Giants so far are ex-Dolphins HC Brian Flores and Cowboys DC Dan Quinn.
Giants Expected To Meet With Brian Daboll, Brian Flores
Now that the Giants have a general manager, their search to replace Joe Judge will accelerate. Some familiar candidates are on track to interview for the post.
Linked to this job for several days, Brian Daboll and Brian Flores are two of the candidates expected to interview, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Big Blue previously requested an interview with Cowboys DC Dan Quinn and other candidates. Quinn wants to meet with the Giants, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, but the rebound candidate is in demand. An offer or two might come in before a Giants meeting commences.
A Brooklyn native, Flores has emerged as perhaps the most intriguing HC candidate of this cycle. The Dolphins fired him unexpectedly after back-to-back winning seasons, citing clashes with management in their decision. Flores has also interviewed with the Bears and Texans during this year’s cycle.
While the three-year Miami HC has been linked to teaming up with Deshaun Watson in New York, it is fairly premature to make those connections given the numerous hurdles that would need to be cleared in order for that to commence. But an early connection to the Giants is notable for Flores, whom the Texans zeroed in on quickly.
Daboll looms as the most obvious candidate here. He has worked with new GM Joe Schoen in Buffalo for four years now. Brought over from Alabama in 2018, Daboll has overseen Josh Allen‘s ascent into one of the NFL’s best players. Reporting linked the Buffalo OC to the New York HC job if Schoen became GM. Now that Schoen has been tapped to lead the Giants’ front office, Daboll has a key avenue to land his first NFL HC job.
Giants Hire Joe Schoen As GM
The Giants have hired former Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen as their new GM, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Now, per a press release from the team, Schoen has been officially tapped as Dave Gettleman‘s replacement.
[RELATED: 2022 NFL General Manager Search Tracker]
“We are pleased and proud to name Joe as our general manager,” said Giants president John Mara. “Throughout our search, Joe impressed us with his ability to communicate a progressive and comprehensive vision for our team. His philosophy and collaborative approach to building a roster and coaching staff align with what we were looking for in a general manager.”
The Giants spoke with at least nine candidates during their search, before narrowing the field to three finalists: Schoen, 49ers assistant GM Adam Peters, and Chiefs executive Ryan Poles. This morning, the Giants informed Peters and Poles that they will be hiring someone else (Twitter link via Schefter) — that someone was Schoen.
“Steve [Tisch] and I were both impressed with all nine candidates,” Mara said, via the team’s press release. “We came away from this process feeling like all nine will be a general manager in this league at some point. We just felt like Joe was the right fit at the right time for us.”
Schoen, 42, has spent the past five seasons as an assistant under current GM Brandon Beane, who has a relationship with Schoen dating back to 2001 when he was the GM of the Panthers. The turnaround in Buffalo over the past few years, and Schoen’s role in that process, earned him plenty of GM interest. In addition to the G-Men, the Bears were also high on him, but they’ll have to look elsewhere.
“[Schoen is] going to be a GM,” Beane told The Athletic back in 2019. “The thing about him is that he’s smart enough to know that he’s still learning and growing, and he’s trying to get stronger at his craft. He wants to be totally ready when he gets in there.”
“Instead of just rushing to the seat and then trying to figure it out, Joe’s that guy that he wants to have all the answers to the test before he goes and sits down. Very few people are like that. There’s so many people in this business that are just trying to get into that head coach seat, that GM seat, and maybe they’re not ready for it. I have no doubt he’s going to be ready for it. He’s a great communicator. He understands people. You’re not going to outwork him.”
With Schoen at the helm, Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll may have a leg up in the Giants’ head coaching search. It’s also worth noting that Giants ownership was high on Daboll, even before Schoen got the job today. Cowboys DC Dan Quinn and ex-Dolphins head coach Brian Flores are also expected to garner serious consideration.