Position Coaches: Gilbride, Flaherty, Lupoi, Tolbert
Panthers head coach Matt Rhule is beginning to fill out the position coaching spots in Carolina. Kevin M. Gilbride will be in charge of the team’s tight ends and Pat Flaherty is expected to be named the team’s offensive line coach, per Alex Marvez of Fox Sports. Gilbride has extensive experience as a tight ends coach, serving in the position with the Giants from 2014-17 and with the Bears from 2018 until he was fired last month.
The Panthers will be the fifth NFL organization to hire Flaherty as an offensive line coach. Flaherty worked as the offensive line coach from 2004-2015 with the Giants followed by a one-year stint with the 49ers, a two-year stint with the Jaguars, and a a short period with the Dolphins in 2019. While Flaherty brings a long line of experience, he was fired in Miami prior to the end of training camp after struggling to implement the team’s scheme.
- The Falcons have named Browns defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi as the team’s defensive line coach and run game coordinator, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Lupoi was a collegiate defensive lineman at Cal, where he began his coaching career in 2008. After a stint with the University of Washington as the defensive line coach, he joined the staff at Alabama, eventually becoming the team’s defensive coordinator in 2018. Lupoi moved to the professional coaching ranks for the first time when he joined Freddie Kitchens‘ staff prior to this season.
- Giants new head coach Joe Judge will not be making changes to the entire coaching staff. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, reports that Judge is expected to retain wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert. While New York struggled in many areas this season, the receiving corp showed impressive depth. Tolbert was credited with helping late-round pick, Darius Slayton, become a legitimate receiving option.
Giants Request Permission To Interview Dolphins DC
New Giants head coach Joe Judge continues working to fill out his staff. New York has requested permission to interview Dolphins defensive coordinator Patrick Graham for the same position, according to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network. Garafolo adds that the request is expected to be granted.
Generally, teams are hesitant to allow their coaches to interview with other teams unless it is for a clear promotion. However, Judge worked with Graham and current Dolphins head coach Brian Flores with the Patriots, which may make Miami more willing to make an exception. Graham not only shares a history with Judge, but also worked with the Giants from 2016-17, serving as the team’s defensive line coach from 2016-17.
On the surface, it would seem like a surprise for a coach on a 5-11 team to be receiving outside interest, but entering the season many wondered if the Dolphins would manage to win any games. Miami clearly entered the season with a tank in mind, making minimal free agent additions last offseason and trading the team’s best offensive lineman (Laremy Tunsil), defensive back (Minkah Fitzpatrick), and wide receiver (Kenny Stills) early in the season. While the Dolphins are by no means a legitimate contender, they finished the season winning three of their final five games, including wins against the Eagles and Patriots.
Since Judge was relatively unknown before the Giants announced his hiring this week, little is known about the people he might target to fill out his staff. At least to start, it appears he will continue to look to the Bill Belichick coaching tree.
Giants Gave Judge Five-Year Deal
- The Giants gave Joe Judge a five-year contract to be their head coach, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It’s not the massive seven-year deal that Matt Rhule got from the Panthers, but it’s a significant commitment nonetheless. It’s especially noteworthy since, as Schefter points out, each of New York’s last two coaches have been given two years or less on the job. Simply to avoid the reputation of being coach-killers, the Giants’ ownership will likely give Judge a somewhat lengthy leash.
Giants Open To Eli Manning Return
The Giants will move forward with Daniel Jones as their starting quarterback, but they’re not necessarily moving on from Eli Manning. In a radio interview on Friday, owner John Mara said that the longtime franchise face could remain as Jones’ backup or transition to a non-playing role in the organization. 
[RELATED: Eli Manning On His Future]
Mara met with Manning earlier this week and their “nice long talk” didn’t end with any definitive answers. Based on what Manning has said about his future, it seems unlikely that he’d jump at the Giants’ offer to hold the clipboard for Jones.
“I doubt it. I doubt it,” Manning said recently when asked about the prospect of returning as a backup. “Backing up is not real fun. … Everything is an option. That is the first decision, whether I want to continue to play or not. That is what I will decide. I’ll just try to figure it out. I think I can still play.”
The 39-year-old may or may not find an opportunity to start elsewhere. Despite his accomplishments, there are no obvious fits for Manning, given the decline in his arm strength in recent years. He’ll have an opportunity to explore his options in March, when he’s scheduled to reach free agency.
John Mara Talks Joe Judge, Matt Rhule
Before signing a whopping seven-year, $60MM+ deal with the Panthers, coach Matt Rhule asked if the Giants were willing to match the offer. The organization ultimately passed, and co-owner John Mara said the team wasn’t comfortable paying that kind of money for a first-time NFL coach.
We heard yesterday that the Giants asked Rhule to meet with them in person, but Rhule pressed for a more definitive answer. When the Giants informed him that they would not match on the money or length of the deal, Rhule cancelled his Giants interview and accepted the Panthers offer, out of fear that owner David Tepper would pivot to Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
Giants To Consider Freddie Kitchens?
Freddie Kitchens was one-and-done as the Browns’ head coach, but he could land on his feet in New Jersey. New Giants head coach Joe Judge is expected to speak with Kitchens about a spot on his offensive staff, a source tells ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Latest On Giants’ Draft Plans]
Kitchens and Judge worked together at Mississippi State, so the two coaches have history together. Kitchens’ stock has obviously cooled over the last year, but he was largely credited for the Browns’ progress on offense in 2018 and the development of quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Judge could view Kitchens as a quality mentor for his own young QB, Daniel Jones. It’s not clear whether Kitchens would be considered for the offensive coordinator role, however, or a different job on that side of the ball.
Kitchens ascended from associate head coach/running backs coach to the Browns’ OC job midway through the 2018 season. Last year, the Browns went 6-10 with Kitchens as their head coach.
NFL Draft Rumors: Lions, Giants, Dolphins
Here’s the latest NFL Draft buzz from Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller:
- Miller would be positively stunned if the Bengals don’t draft LSU quarterback Joe Burrow No. 1 overall and the Redskins don’t grab Ohio State defensive end Chase Young with the No. 2 pick.
- With that in mind, Miller feels the draft truly starts at No. 3 overall, where the Lions pick. Sources tell Miller that they’ll look heavily at Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah and Auburn defensive lineman Derrick Brown. Then again, it’s a prime trade-back spot – teams like the Dolphins, Chargers, and Panthers could move up to land a QB.
- Unless new head coach Joe Judge sways him in a different direction, Giants GM Dave Gettleman is expected to look at edge-rushers, left tackles, and wide receivers with the No. 4 pick. “He can’t help himself with linemen, so slot your top-rated offensive tackle there,” one scout who previously worked with Gettleman said. Alabama’s Jedrick Wills Jr. and Georgia’s Andrew Thomas rank among the top tackles in this year’s crop.
- No team has done more work on Oregon’s Justin Herbert than the Dolphins, who own the No. 5 pick and two more selections later on, Miller writes. The Dolphins will almost certainly go QB here, then shift their attention to offensive tackle, edge-rusher, and running back help.
- The same source who tipped Miller off to the Cardinals‘ love of Kyler Murray last year says they’re wild about Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. But, internally, they also feel that the offensive line need is too big to overlook.
- The Raiders, with two picks in the first round, are looking to go defense and wide receiver, Miller hears.
- The Bills are already nervous about other teams leapfrogging them for wide receivers, Miller hears. The Bills own the No. 22 overall pick and nine total selections in the draft.
- The Patriots are impossible to read, but none of Miller’s sources believe that they’ll draft a quarterback early on. Tom Brady has vowed to continue playing, but he’ll also explore his options in free agency.
Bret Bielema On Giants' DC Radar?
- Bret Bielema is expected to be in the mix for the Giants‘ defensive coordinator role under Joe Judge, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com tweets. Judge is believed to have most of his staff selected, per Ralph Vacchiano of SNY, who notes said staff will likely include several coaches with more NFL experience than the 38-year-old HC. The former Wisconsin head coach, Bielema spent 2018 as a Patriots consultant and coached the Pats’ defensive line this season.
Giants Hire Joe Judge As Head Coach
Jan. 8: The hiring is official, per a team announcement.
Jan. 7: The Giants are finalizing a deal to hire Patriots wide receivers/special teams coach Joe Judge as their new head coach, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) reports. This news comes moments after the Panthers hired Matt Rhule, who was believed to be the Giants’ top target. 
Interestingly, Schefter hears that the deal was in the works on Monday night, before Rhule shook hands with Carolina brass. That was “another reason” why Rhule accepted the Panthers’ offer, according to Schefter, which indicates that the Baylor head coach might not have been the Giants’ first choice after all.
Before agreeing to a seven-year deal with the Panthers that could be worth up to $70MM, Rhule called the Giants and gave them an opportunity to match the offer, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. When the Giants declined, Rhule 86’d his scheduled interview with the G-Men, and the Giants shifted their focus to Judge.
The Giants considered a whole host of candidates for their head coaching vacancy, as shown in PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker. Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale, Patriots OC Josh McDaniels, and Cowboys assistant Kris Richard were also on the radar, and the Giants were reportedly seeking an interview with ex-Cowboys HC Jason Garrett. Garrett, apparently, won’t be interviewing for the top job, however – Judge has been tapped as the Giants’ next head coach.
Judge, 38, was being groomed by Patriots head coach Bill Belichick for an even larger role down the line. He also had an opportunity to return to his alma mater, Mississippi State, as their head coach. Ultimately, he chose to become the new head coach of the Giants, replacing the recently-dismissed Pat Shurmur.
Judge joined the Pats in 2012 after a three-year stint as a special teams assistant at Alabama. In 2015, he was elevated to ST coordinator and, in 2019, he was also given the WRs coach title. Although he doesn’t have the star power of the Giants’ other reported candidates, the club believes that he has the right temperament and energy to handle the pressure that comes with the New York market.
Judge becomes the latest Belichick protege to join the head coaching ranks. In the past few years, Mike Vrabel (Titans), Matt Patricia (Lions), and Brian Flores (Dolphins) have all left the nest and climbed the ladder.
The Redskins, Cowboys, Panthers, and Giants have all filled their head coaching vacancies, leaving the Browns as the lone team in search of a new leader. The Browns saw a few of their targets go elsewhere, but, on the plus side, they can now afford to take their time in the search.
Matt Rhule Preferred Giants To Panthers?
On Tuesday, Matt Rhule signed on as the new coach of the Panthers. However, the former Baylor head coach preferred the Giants job, according to a source who spoke with Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. 
After receiving a whopping seven-year, $62MM offer from the Panthers – a deal that could reach $70MM, through incentives – Rhule called the Giants to see if they would be willing to match. The Giants asked Rhule to meet with them in person, but Rhule pressed for a more definitive answer. When the Giants informed him that they would not match on the money or length of the deal, Rhule cancelled his Giants interview and accepted the Panthers offer, out of fear that owner David Tepper would pivot to Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
In the weeks leading up to the hire of Joe Judge, Rhule was the Giants’ top target in their search. However, the Giants insist that they preferred the Patriots assistant, even when putting finances aside. Judge floored the Giants in his interview and Vacchiano hears that he came with a sterling recommendation from Bill Belichick.
“It doesn’t matter how we got here,” one team source told Vacchiano. “We feel we got the right guy. And I think everyone will be happy in the end.”
Ron Rivera was also linked to the Giants job by many, due to his history with GM Dave Gettleman. The Giants had interest in the 58-year-old, but Vacchiano hears that he was not considered a priority, even before he was hired by the rival Redskins.