Matt Rhule Remained Giants Favorite Until Panthers Offer Emerged
Even after Joe Judge‘s standout interview Monday led to him becoming the Giants‘ head coach, the franchise still had Matt Rhule as their preferred candidate. The Panthers‘ seven-year, $62MM offer to the Baylor head coach essentially prompted the Giants to fold their hand on this front, with Ralph Vacchiano of SNY noting Big Blue balked at the contract length and salary. Rhule’s $8.9MM salary makes him the sixth-highest-paid coach in the league — behind Bill Belichick ($12MM per year), Pete Carroll ($11MM AAV), Jon Gruden ($10MM), Sean Payton ($9.8MM) and John Harbaugh ($9MM). The Panthers also paid Baylor a $6MM buyout, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Just months ago, Rhule agreed to an extension with the Big 12 program.
- Big Blue received a ringing Judge endorsement from Belichick, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link). The former Giants defensive coordinator and six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach called the Giants to sell them on Judge’s credentials, despite his non-traditional candidacy as a special teams coordinator.
- In addition to missing out on the Ron Rivera boat, the Giants wanted to speak with Mike McCarthy again, Vacchiano adds. The Cowboys swooping in prevented such an opportunity.
- Big Blue received a ringing Judge endorsement from Belichick, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link). The former Giants defensive coordinator and six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach called the Giants to sell them on Judge’s credentials, despite his non-traditional candidacy as a special teams coordinator.
Latest On Giants, Jason Garrett
3:11pm: Hold the phone. The Giants have not requested permission to speak to Garrett about their OC job, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY (on Twitter) hears. Their request was for their head coaching job, before they agreed to hire Joe Judge.
As the HC, Judge will get to pick his own staff. It’s not clear whether he would consider Garrett for the OC job, or if the ex-Cowboys head coach would be interested in the position.
10:50am: The Giants’ head coaching job is spoken for, but the team still wants to meet with former Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett. The Giants are interested in Garrett as a candidate for the offensive coordinator role on Joe Judge‘s staff, Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. 
Judge, 38, lacks head coaching experience, and Garrett could provide some helpful counsel to him. Garrett, of course, spent a decade as the Cowboys’ HC.
It’s not clear whether Garrett is willing to consider coordinator positions, though the Giants job would have some obvious upside. Garrett could groom quarterback Daniel Jones, who showed promise as a rookie despite still being green. The Giants OC job would also give him a chance to face his old friends twice per season.
Giants Request To Interview Jason Garrett
The Giants have requested permission to speak with former Cowboys coach Jason Garrett, sources tell Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Garrett, of course, will not return to the Cowboys, but permission is required since he is technically under contract until January 14. 
[RELATED: Giants Lose Matt Rhule To Panthers]
On Tuesday morning, the Giants lost out on top target Matt Rhule. The former Baylor head coach agreed to terms with the Panthers moments before his scheduled flight to New York, forcing the Giants to shift to backup options, including Garrett.
Although Garrett’s Cowboys disappointed in 2019, he had his fair share of accomplishments in Dallas, including a 6-0 record against the G-Men over the last three seasons. All in all, Garrett coached the Cowboys to an 85-67 record since taking over as HC midway through the 2010 season.
The Giants have cast a wide net in their search, as shown in PFR’s tracker. Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Patriots wide receivers coach Joe Judge, Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale, Patriots OC Josh McDaniels, and Cowboys assistant Kris Richard are also on the radar.
Giants To Consider Jason Garrett
The Giants will consider former Cowboys coach Jason Garrett for their head coaching vacancy, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. However, their longtime rival is viewed as a Plan B – he’ll only be in the picture if things go sour with Baylor’s Matt Rhule, their apparent top choice. 
Garrett spent nearly ten years as the Cowboys’ head coach and, hands down, has Rhule beat in the NFL experience department. Rhule has just one year of pro experience – his 2012 season as an assistant offensive line coach with Baylor.
Still, teams have been swooning over Rhule in recent years. Last year, Rhule shot down the other tenant of the Meadowlands, but the Giants job could hold greater appeal for him, especially if they’re willing to let him hire his own staff.
It’s not a given that Rhule will get the Giants job, even though he’s the leader of the pack. Barriers include Rhule’s pricey buyout from Baylor, which is believed to be more than $15MM. On the flip side – it’s possible that he could be had on a lower salary than someone like Garrett.
Between 2010 and 2019, Garrett coached the Cowboys to an 85-67 record and three NFC East titles. But, during that span, the Cowboys did not advance beyond the divisional round.
Giants Unhappy With Defensive Coaching
McDaniels is the frontrunner for the Browns job. He will interview with the Panthers on Tuesday, the Giants on Wednesday and the Browns on Friday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
- Matt Rhule had issues with the Jets attempting to overrule him on staff decisions, but Ralph Vacchiano of SNY notes the Giants would not do the same. The Giants would let Rhule select his assistants, and the Baylor HC is believed to have candidates in place to follow him to New York if hired. Former Giants assistant and current Lions QBs coach Sean Ryan and Baylor defensive coordinator Phil Snow are believed to be Rhule’s coordinator choices should he land either the Giants’ or Panthers’ HC jobs, Vacchiano reports. Ryan, 47, held a key role with the Texans from 2017-18 but was with the Giants for nine years, including in 2012, when Rhule was on staff. Snow, 64, has been Rhule’s DC at Temple and Baylor. He coached with the Lions from 2005-08.
- As for Giants incumbent defensive coordinator James Bettcher, the front office was not exactly pleased with his game management nor were Giants brass happy with the entire defensive staff, Vacchiano adds. Lacking in talent and depth at linebacker and cornerback, the Giants ranked 31st in pass-defense DVOA. Bettcher’s better-stocked defensive front, however, produced the No. 7 run-defense DVOA figure.
Coaching Rumors: Panthers, Rhule, McDaniels
The latest from around the NFL:
- Saints assistant Mike Nolan is a name to watch as new Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy searches for his next defensive coordinator, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link) hears.
- The Panthers‘ interview with Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski will take place in Minneapolis on Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) reports. The Browns could also schedule a chat with Stefanski for that same day. During Stefanski’s first full season at the helm, the Vikings ranked as a top-10 offense in points. With Stefanski on the sidelines, the Vikings also managed a 26-20 win over the Saints on Sunday to advance to the divisional round.
- The Giants‘ interview with Baylor head coach Matt Rhule has been scheduled for Tuesday, Schefter hears. After that, they’ll meet with Patriots OC Josh McDaniels on Wednesday. Both interviews will take place in New Jersey.
- At least 4 NFL teams have expressed interest in former Giants head coach Pat Shurmur as an offensive coordinator, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) hears. Shurmur has also heard from “a college team or two.” Shurmur was fired by the Giants after amassing a 9-23 record over the course of two disappointing seasons.
Updated 2020 NFL Draft Order
After a weekend full of drama and upsets, four more spots have been determined in this year’s NFL Draft order. Most notably – the Patriots will pick No. 23 overall, their highest original pick since 2006.
Here’s the updated rundown, from Nos. 1-24:
1. Bengals (2-14)
2. Redskins (3-13)
3. Lions (3-12-1)
4. Giants (4-12)
5. Dolphins (5-11)
6. Chargers (5-11)
7. Panthers (5-11)
8. Cardinals (5-10-1)
9. Jaguars (6-10)
10. Browns (6-10)
11. Jets (7-9)
12. Raiders (7-9)
13. Colts (7-9)
14. Buccaneers (7-9)
15. Broncos (7-9)
16. Falcons (7-9)
17. Cowboys (8-8)
18. Dolphins (via Steelers 8-8)
19. Raiders (via Bears 8-8)
20. Jaguars (via Rams 9-7)
21. Eagles (9-7)
22. Bills (10-6)
23. Patriots (12-4)
24. Saints (13-3)
Latest On Josh McDaniels’ Plans
Josh McDaniels will honor each of his interview requests in this hiring period. In addition to meeting with the Browns, the Patriots offensive coordinator will sit down with the Giants and Panthers this week.
Prior to the Pats’ playoff loss to the Titans on Saturday night, those interviews were expected to take place Friday, January 10, in Foxborough, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). But now that New England has been bounced from the postseason, the three interested clubs will get to hear from McDaniels starting on Monday, January 6, as Michael Lombardi of The Athletic tweets. The Panthers, though, will meet with McDaniels on January 10 as planned, given that they are busy with other interviews (via David Newton of ESPN.com).
Veteran NFL reporter Ed Werder also believes the Cowboys, who have not been formally connected to McDaniels just yet, to have interest in him (Twitter link).
While the Browns met with McDaniels back in 2014, the Giants have also interviewed him previously. They did so two years ago for a job that went to the recently fired Pat Shurmur.
McDaniels, however, may have a clearer path to the Cleveland or Carolina jobs. Skepticism exists on the New York front. Some around the league have doubted the 43-year-old assistant is as interested in the Giants as they are in him, per Ralph Vacchiano of SNY, who adds that Dave Gettleman‘s role may pose a problem for McDaniels. Gettleman being in place as Big Blue’s GM would not necessarily be a deal-breaker, but McDaniels’ potential demand for more say in personnel matters does not appear to be what Giants ownership prefers.
Despite McDaniels’ previous run with personnel power going poorly (with the Broncos in 2009-10, the Browns will likely be willing to give the Ohio native such a role. They plan to hire a coach before adding a GM, and McDaniels is believed to be the frontrunner for the Cleveland position. The Panthers have GM Marty Hurney in place, but with the two-stint Carolina executive being hired before David Tepper bought the team, that situation is fluid. Gettleman has said he would cede some power if it would help the Giants, Vacchiano adds the team is not likely to offer its next coach such an opportunity.
McDaniels will want a personnel staffer he trusts to accompany him to New York, per Vacchiano. But John Mara said whomever the Giants hire will not determine Gettleman’s role, so a McDaniels-Nick Caserio partnership in New York seems unlikely to commence. Regardless, McDaniels’ stock has returned to where it was before he spurned the Colts in 2018.
Matt Rhule To Meet With Panthers, Giants
The Matt Rhule-to-NFL path may be close to forming. The Baylor head coach has scheduled two interviews. He will meet with the Panthers on Monday and the Giants shortly after, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
A New York native, Rhule is believed to be the frontrunner for the Giants job. He spent 2012 as their assistant offensive line coach, working with the franchise during Dave Gettleman‘s final season during his first Giants stint. Rhule’s Giants meeting is expected to take place Tuesday.
As a college coach, Rhule is 47-43 in seven seasons at Temple and Baylor. But it’s the Bears’ quick turnaround from the Art Briles tenure that has likely sparked interest among NFL teams. Baylor completed the transition from 1-11 in Rhule’s first season in 2017 to ending its 2019 campaign in the Sugar Bowl. While Baylor did not fare well against Georgia, Rhule was already an NFL candidate before guiding the Big 12 program to an 11-win season. And prior to Rhule’s Baylor stay, he led Temple to back-to-back 10-win seasons — the first such stretch in the program’s 90-year history.
The Panthers have already interviewed Mike McCarthy (twice) and Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy. They are tentatively scheduled to meet with Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski late next week. The Giants are interviewing Bieniemy and Ravens DC Don “Wink” Martindale on Saturday and have already spoken with McCarthy and Cowboys secondary coach Kris Richard. Both teams are also interested in Josh McDaniels, who has previously been a Giants target.
Rhule turned down an opportunity to interview for the Browns job, doing so a year after agreeing to return to Baylor despite Jets interest. Rhule interviewed for the job that went to Adam Gase and has said he would leave for the NFL if the right opportunity presented itself. The latest NFL hiring period will put the 44-year-old coach to the test.
Giants GM Dave Gettleman On Not Wanting To Fire Pat Shurmur, Coaching Search
Giants GM Dave Gettleman has caught a lot of flak from both the media and fans, but he is surviving for at least one more year. The team fired head coach Pat Shurmur after the season, but announced they’d be retaining Gettleman for 2020. With his job safe for the time being Gettleman made a couple of appearances on ESPN Radio and WFAN in New York and made some interesting comments, via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post.
Perhaps most notably, Gettleman admitted that he didn’t want to fire Shurmur, the first coach he hired, and that the order came directly from ownership. “Came from above,” he said of the decision. There were reports that co-owner Steve Tisch was pushing for Shurmur’s firing, and his view ultimately won out with controlling owner John Mara. Many questioned the decision to bring back Eli Manning for 2019 and pay his hefty salary if they were going to bench him after only two games, but Gettleman insisted ownership played no role in making that call.
Gettleman was previously the GM in Carolina, where he worked with recently hired Redskins coach Ron Rivera. Gettleman revealed that New York would’ve been interested in a reunion, but they didn’t have the chance because they waited until after the season to fire Shurmur, whereas Washington had a head start. “Before we could turn around,” Gettleman said, “the [Redskins] deal was done.”
The front office head also revealed that it was Shurmur who originally identified and brought quarterback Daniel Jones to his attention. Gettleman then fell in love with the signal-caller from Duke, and ended up taking him sixth overall. Gettleman said on both radio programs that he would be willing to give up some of his power on personnel decisions to a new head coach depending on the candidate. With ownership calling the shots, he might not have a choice.
New York has been busy, already scheduling a slate of interviews, which you can keep track of via our head coaching search tracker. Below are a list of names we’ve heard about as of right now:
- Eric Bieniemy, offensive coordinator (Chiefs): To interview on 1/4
- Joe Judge, special teams coordinator/wide receivers coach (Patriots): Expected to interview
- Don “Wink” Martindale, defensive coordinator (Ravens): To interview on 1/4
- Mike McCarthy, former head coach (Packers): Interviewed on 1/3
- Josh McDaniels, offensive coordinator (Patriots): Expected to interview
- Matt Rhule, head coach (Baylor): Expected to interview; viewed as frontrunner
- Kris Richard, secondary coach (Cowboys): Interviewed on 1/2