New York Giants News & Rumors

Giants Unlikely To Tag Saquon Barkley

February 20th, 2024 at 5:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

This year’s window for teams to use the franchise tag to keep players out of free agency opened Monday, though action on this front generally takes place toward the window’s close. The Giants’ actions in 2023 showed that, but the tag deadline in New York might be quieter this year.

The Giants tagged Saquon Barkley minutes before the March 2023 deadline, reaching a long-term agreement with Daniel Jones to keep the option open of cuffing their Pro Bowl running back. Barkley was productive again in 2023, despite an early-season injury, but the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz indicates the team is “highly, highly unlikely” to give the six-year Giant a second tag. The Giants still plan to make Barkley a worthwhile offer, Schwartz adds, but they are not planning to make a tag part of the process this time around.

Even though the Giants tagging Barkley in 2023 inflates his 2024 tender price, it still would cost them only $12MM to keep Barkley off the market. Only the kicker/punter tag checks in south of the running back number, which is projected to come in around $11.3MM for first-time RB tag recipients. The Raiders and Giants have been connected to potential second tags, and even while Josh Jacobs‘ tag number is higher due to the terms the Raiders agreed to just before last season, it appears Barkley will be given the chance to test the market.

The Giants did Barkley a disservice by tagging him last year. The former Offensive Rookie of the Year had bounced back after three injury-plagued seasons, powering an undermanned Giants offense to the playoffs. While Barkley is certainly in fine financial shape due to playing out a fully guaranteed rookie deal and following up a fifth-year option season by playing on a $10.1MM tag, his best chance to capitalize on the open market has likely passed. That does not mean Barkley would not generate a strong market this year, but the nature of the RB position puts the New Jersey native on the downside of his career.

This aspect will play into the Giants’ thinking, Schwartz adds, noting the Giants have conducted studies that have shown age 27 represents a running back cliff. Barkley, who turned 27 earlier this month, averaged just 3.9 yards per carry in 2023 and suffered another notable injury — a high ankle sprain — early on. The talented RB was forced to carry another poor offense — a trend throughout the Penn State alum’s New York tenure — and still finished the season strong. Barkley totaled 1,242 scrimmage yards in 14 games, doing so on an offense missing key O-linemen and aerial weaponry — and one without Jones for much of the season.

Both sides were interested in an extension as of November, but time is running out. Barkley has said on several occasions he wants to finish his career with the Giants, who still have exclusive negotiating rights with the Dave Gettleman-era draftee until the legal tampering period opens March 11. GM Joe Schoen spoke with Barkley shortly after the season, but Schwartz adds little came of that. Schoen has shown no hesitancy in re-upping Gettleman acquisitions, extending Dexter Lawrence and Andrew Thomas following the Jones $40MM-AAV payday. Barkley’s position, naturally, is hurting his cause.

Barkley would probably be the top RB available this year, surpassing the likes of Jacobs, Austin Ekeler, Tony Pollard and D’Andre Swift. But he does have 1,201 carries on his odometer — which actually trails Jacobs’ count by more than 100, despite the latter being a year younger — and some injury baggage in his past. Barkley is three-plus years removed from the ACL tear that ended his 2020 season early, but ankle trouble has been a factor in the years since.

Barkley has pocketed more than $48MM in the NFL, and he will be in position to cash in again soon. It will be interesting to see if the Giants, who passed on trading him at the deadline to keep the door open for a potential post-2023 future, make a lucrative offer to retain him or move on to a cheaper back.

If the Giants lose Barkley, they will need to either draft a replacement or sign one. After the events of last year, it will also be interesting to see if Barkley can come close to the roughly $22MM guarantee total the Giants offered — while decreasing the proposal’s AAV at the last minute — just before last July’s tag extension deadline. This situation produced countless headlines last year, but it appears we will have a resolution much sooner this offseason. Should the Giants pay Barkley as a free agent or finally let him walk?

Daniel Jones Progressing Post-Surgery; First-Round QB Pick On Radar

February 17th, 2024 at 9:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Of the teams lurking outside the top three who have been connected to a quarterback upgrade attempt, the Giants sit in the best spot. They hold the No. 6 overall pick, the same slot they were in when Daniel Jones became the Eli Manning heir apparent in 2019. Five years later, Jones’ status creates a complicated situation for the team.

Coming off a November ACL tear, Jones is progressing well during his rehab process. The five-year veteran expects to be ready to go by training camp, and GM Joe Schoen indicated (via the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard) he will be expected to return as the team’s starter should that happen by camp. Confirming a quarterback will be under consideration at No. 6 overall, Schoen remains connected to making his own investment at the position.

Although Schoen and Brian Daboll were in place when the Giants re-signed Jones on a four-year, $160MM deal, this regime did not draft him. Seeing Jones’ injury help drag the Giants down to the No. 6 draft slot, an opportunity may present itself to upgrade on the oft-criticized passer, who was not off to a good start before suffering the ACL tear. While Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline has the Giants taking LSU wideout Malik Nabers in his latest mock draft, he indicates the team would love a scenario in which one of the top quarterbacks fell to 6. The Giants should also be considered in play to trade up, Pauline adds, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo listing Big Blue as a team to monitor regarding a move up the board for a passer.

The Giants cannot realistically move off the Jones contract in 2024. They guaranteed their starter $81MM; that includes a $36MM guarantee for 2024. Jones is not going anywhere this year, but if the Giants are to come out of the first round with a passer, the Dave Gettleman-era draftee probably will not be part of the 2025 team. The Giants can escape this contract in 2025 by taking on only $11MM in dead money — in the event of a post-June 1 cut.

Schoen has said since shortly after Jones’ injury the team needs to address its QB spot. That could mean another veteran backup type, with UFA-to-be Tyrod Taylor expected to move on. Tommy DeVito remains under contract, but after being benched, the popular rookie is not a realistic candidate to become a long-term starter in New York. A number of veterans will be available as Jones insurance, if the Giants show enough faith in their starter — or the board does not align with a QB swing — to avoid acquiring a true replacement option this offseason. Whether Big Blue goes with a rookie that will be expected to supplant Jones or merely a backup option represents one of this offseason’s top storylines.

When connected to either taking a QB at 6 or moving up for one, the Giants would seemingly be tied to interest in Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels. Maye’s stock has held fairly steady despite a less statistically impressive 2023 compared to his first starter season, while Daniels’ spiked during his Heisman year. It would be unlikely to see the Commanders consider giving the Giants the No. 2 pick. The Patriots (No. 3), Cardinals (4) and Chargers (5) represent avenues for the Giants to climb up the board.

Of course, other teams — including the Falcons, Vikings, Broncos and Raiders — will undoubtedly be eyeing that stretch as a trade-up window as well. The Raiders have been connected to Daniels already. With the 2025 QB class not generating much buzz — though, it is obviously early on that front — teams have been connected to trade-up efforts this year.

Jones has now suffered major injuries in two of the past three seasons. Neck trouble ended his 2021 season, leading to surgery, and sidelined him for a brief span last year before the ACL tear. Regarding the knee malady, Jones told Leonard he has progressed to running on a treadmill. But the injury risk the 26-year-old QB now presents will also factor into how aggressive the Giants are to acquire a replacement this year.

Jones’ goal of a camp return could be themed around the Manning successor retaking the Giants’ reins. After DeVito and Taylor combined to produce four wins following Jones’ injury, the Giants’ draft slot slid out of the top three. That naturally will make a Jones replacement effort harder to complete. But if the team selects a QB in Round 1, Jones’ rehab process suddenly looks like it would turn into an awkward audition for a starting job elsewhere come 2025. These disparate paths make the Giants one of this offseason’s most interesting teams.

Raiders Updates: Foster, Pierce, Armstead

February 17th, 2024 at 4:12pm CST by Ely Allen

Last we had heard, with former Raiders running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu heading to Seattle for the same position, Las Vegas had selected long-time UCLA staffer DeShaun Foster to take over as their new running backs coach. With Chip Kelly shockingly stepping down as head coach of the Bruins to take the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coaching job at Ohio State, Foster has been selected as Kelly’s replacement in Los Angeles, per Pete Thamel of ESPN, forcing the Raiders to go back to the drawing board for their next running backs coach.

To fill the role, the Raiders are turning to a name millennial NFL fans will recognize. Las Vegas dipped back to the college ranks, confirmed by Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, hiring Auburn associate head coach and running backs coach Carnell Williams, known during his playing days as “Cadillac.” The 2005 Offensive Rookie of the Year’s playing career ended after seven seasons in the NFL. He would eventually turn to coaching as a career, starting off at small colleges like Henderson State and West Georgia before spending a year at the high school level at the prestigious IMG Academy.

Williams followed that up with a year as a running backs coach in the Alliance of American Football league before first arriving at his alma mater in 2019. Williams has coached running backs at Auburn for the last five years, spending a stint in 2022 as interim head coach and earning the title of associate head coach this past season. The most notable name coming out of his position group in Alabama would’ve been Tank Bigsby, a third-round rookie for the Jaguars last year.

With star back Josh Jacobs, Ameer Abdullah, and Brandon Bolden all bound for free agency, Williams inherits a room that is currently only slated to hold third-year rusher Zamir White. Perhaps Williams’ input will be crucial in how the position group is formed this offseason.

Here are a few other staff updates coming out of Sin City:

The Raiders were also able to secure their new offensive line coach, hiring former 49ers assistant offensive line coach James Cregg to the role, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Cregg, who has been in San Francisco for the past two years, will get his first full position coaching opportunity in the NFL with Vegas. He has held the assistant role with the Raiders, Broncos, and Chargers in the past and the offensive line coaching title at three different Power 5 schools at the collegiate level, but this will be his first NFL offensive line coach title.
Also on offense, the Raiders have added new head coach Antonio Pierce‘s son DeAndre Pierce to the coaching staff, according to Myles Simmons of NBC Sports. The younger Pierce, who served in 2023 as a defensive quality control coach at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, will be an offensive quality control coach for the Raiders in 2024.
Lastly, the older Pierce reportedly reached out to an old teammate from New York, Jessie Armstead for a potential front office role in Las Vegas. Armstead, who currently works as a special assistant to the general manager for the Giants, was offered a similar role with the Raiders. Las Vegas was under the impression that Armstead was going to be on staff, but the Giants were reportedly able to block the lateral move, since Armstead is still under contract, according to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post.

NFC East Notes: Commanders, QBs, Bieniemy, Cowboys, Smith, Saban, Giants

February 17th, 2024 at 12:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Commanders centered their 2023 offseason on Sam Howell, who had played all of one game as a rookie. While the second-year passer showed some encouraging signs, the team was prepared to bench him for Jacoby Brissett late in the season. Howell did become the first Washington quarterback to go wire to wire as the starter since Kirk Cousins in 2017, but the team lost eight straight games to end the season. It remains likely the Commanders draft a QB at No. 2 overall rather than turn to Howell and perhaps another Brissett-level vet as competition, ESPN.com’s John Keim writes.

Washington held the No. 2 overall pick in 2020 but had just taken Dwayne Haskins in the 2019 first round. This effectively took them out of the Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert sweepstakes, joining the Giants (who had chosen Daniel Jones in 2019) in that regard. Washington then took Chase Young. Timing was an issue for the team then, but Howell’s presence — especially with a new owner, HC and football ops boss in town — is unlikely to represent a sufficient deterrent to impede a QB investment this year. Two years remain on Howell’s rookie contract.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

With the Commanders being the seventh team to hire a head coach, and not doing so until Feb. 1, Eric Bieniemy received confirmation he was out late during this year’s hiring period. The one-and-done Commanders OC signed a multiyear deal in 2023, and ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the former HC interview mainstay could well take a year off — as money will continue to come in from Washington — and regroup for a 2025 return to the sideline. Bieniemy, 54, may be off the HC radar; but the longtime Chiefs assistant could well resurface as an OC candidate — particularly given this position’s turnover rate in recent years — in 2025. The possibility the Chiefs bring him back, as they did Matt Nagy, also should not be discounted.
Over the past decade and change, the Cowboys have generally done well in the first round. They have landed a number of All-Pros — from Tyron Smith to Travis Frederick to Zack Martin to CeeDee Lamb to Micah Parsons — and a few other regular starters. Mazi Smith‘s trajectory is less certain to produce an impact player. Last year’s No. 26 overall pick played 304 defensive snaps as a rookie and logged only four in Dallas’ wild-card loss. Pro Football Focus rated the Michigan alum as one of the worst D-tackle regulars last season. The Cowboys were displeased Smith dropped around 20 pounds from his Combine weight (323) at points last season, per the Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken. Drafted as a player who could potentially anchor the Cowboys’ interior D-line, Smith has work to do. The Cowboys also have starter Johnathan Hankins due for free agency in a few weeks.
This can be field in the “what if?” department, but as the Giants interviewed Louis Riddick for their GM job — during the cycle that produced the Dave Gettleman hire — the ESPN talent/ex-NFL exec said (h/t Empire Sports Media’s Anthony Rivardo) he reached out to Nick Saban to gauge his interest in becoming the team’s head coach. The Giants interviewed Riddick in December 2017; the ex-Monday Night Football analyst had been up for a few GM jobs around that point. Riddick was also a defensive back during Saban’s tenure under Bill Belichick in Cleveland in the early 1990s. (Saban was the Browns’ DC from 1991-94.) The Alabama icon, who retired last month, was loosely connected to the Giants’ coaching job during the cycle that produced the Ben McAdoo promotion. Saban, who coached the Dolphins for two years (2005-06) before leaving for Tuscaloosa, was not interested in the Giants’ job during the cycle that ended with the Pat Shurmur hire in 2018.

NFC Coaching Notes: Eagles, Clay, Pettine, Vikings, Panthers, Giants, Lions, Rams

February 16th, 2024 at 4:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Eagles‘ changes at offensive and defensive coordinator show how quickly job security can evaporate in the NFL, and Nick Sirianni‘s seat has heated up as a result. But the Eagles are not changing out all their coordinators. They will extend special teams boss Michael Clay, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. This marks the second straight year in which the Eagles have extended Clay, who is going into his fourth season as their ST coordinator. Just 32, Clay has been a special teams coach in the NFL since 2015, serving as the 49ers’ assistant ST coach for five years. Clay debuted with the Eagles, however, joining Chip Kelly‘s staff in 2014. The Eagles vaulted from 31st to 10th on Rick Gosselin’s annual special teams rankings in 2023.

Philly is adding former Titans inside linebackers coach Bobby King to their staff, ESPN.com’s Tim McManus tweets. While Brian Callahan kept a handful of Mike Vrabel assistants, he did not retain King. Under King’s guidance last season, Titans free agency pickup Azeez Al-Shaair tallied 163 tackles — the most by anyone during the franchise’s 25-season Titans period.

Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:

Fired as the Jaguars’ defensive pass-game coordinator last month, Deshea Townsend has another gig lined up. The Lions are hiring the former NFL cornerback in the same capacity, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz tweets. Townsend, who won two Super Bowls during his 12-year Steelers run as a player, has been in coaching since his 2011 retirement. Prior to his two-year Jacksonville stay, Townsend coached DBs with the Bears, Giants and Titans and Cardinals. The Lions recently lost DBs coach Brian Duker to the Dolphins.
After working as a Vikings senior defensive assistant over the past two years, Mike Pettine will have a more defined role this year in Minnesota. The Vikings announced the veteran DC and ex-Browns HC will be their outside linebackers coach in 2024. Still carrying an assistant HC title, Pettine worked with the Vikes’ OLBs under Brian Flores last season. This will be the 57-year-old coach’s 22nd season in the NFL.
The Vikings also hired Marcus Dixon to be their defensive line coach. Brought over from the Broncos, Dixon was a Nathaniel Hackett hire in Denver. Ejiro Evero took Dixon with him from the Rams in 2022; he served as the Broncos’ D-line coach for two years. The Broncos are losing their only two pre-Sean Payton defensive assistants this offseason, seeing DBs coach Christian Parker rejoin Vic Fangio in Philadelphia. Evero tried to take both Parker and Dixon with him to the Panthers last year, per 9News’ Mike Klis, but the Broncos blocked the effort and kept them around to work under Vance Joseph.
The Giants are doling out some new titles. QBs coach Shea Tierney and DBs coach Jerome Henderson will respectively serve as the team’s offensive and defensive pass-game coordinators. Henderson has been with the Giants since 2020, while Tierney came over from the Bills with Brian Daboll. The Giants also moved former safety Mike Adams from assistant secondary coach to assistant DBs coach.
Additionally, Big Blue hired Charlie Bullen to replace Drew Wilkins as outside linebackers coach. Daboll fired Wilkins, a longtime Don Martindale right-hand man, and that choice keyed an explosive conclusion to the Daboll-Martindale relationship. Wilkins is now with the Patriots. Bullen spent last season as Illinois’ OLBs coach; he spent the previous four years coaching linebackers with the Cardinals. The veteran assistant previously worked with Dolphins LBs under Joe Philbin and Adam Gase.
The Rams recently interviewed former Packers pass-game coordinator Greg Williams for their inside linebackers coach gig, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes. This is not the ex-St. Louis Rams DC better known for Bountygate; the two-G Greg Williams spent time with the Broncos and Cardinals prior to spending last season in Green Bay.

Assessing NFL’s OC Landscape

February 15th, 2024 at 8:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

This offseason showed the turnover that can take place at the offensive coordinator position. As a result of several decisions in January and February, the NFL no longer has an OC who has been in his current role for more than two seasons. Various firings and defections now have the 2022 batch of hires stationed as the longest-tenured OCs.

One of the longest-tenured coordinators in NFL history, Pete Carmichael is no longer with the Saints. The team moved on after 15 seasons, a stay that featured part-time play-calling duties. The Browns canned their four-year non-play-calling OC, Alex Van Pelt, while three-year play-callers Arthur Smith and Shane Waldron are relocating this winter. Brian Callahan‘s five-year gig as the Bengals’ non-play-calling OC booked him a top job.

The recent lean toward offense-oriented HCs took a bit of a hit of a hit this offseason, with five of the eight jobs going to defense-oriented leaders. Callahan, Dave Canales and Jim Harbaugh were the only offense-geared candidates hired during this cycle. But half the NFL will go into this season with a new OC. Following the Seahawks’ decision to hire ex-Washington (and, briefly, Alabama) staffer Ryan Grubb, here is how the NFL’s OC landscape looks:

2022 OC hires

Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions*
Mike Kafka, New York Giants*
Wes Phillips, Minnesota Vikings
Frank Smith, Miami Dolphins
Adam Stenavich, Green Bay Packers
Press Taylor, Jacksonville Jaguars*

Although this sextet now comprises the senior wing of offensive coordinators, this still marks each’s first gig as an NFL OC. Three of the six received HC interest this offseason.

Johnson’s status back in Detroit has been one of the offseason’s top storylines and a development the Commanders have not taken especially well. The two-year Lions OC was viewed as the frontrunner for the Washington job for weeks this offseason, and when team brass did not receive word about Johnson’s intent to stay in Detroit (thus, waiting until at least 2025 to make his long-expected HC move) until a Commanders contingent was en route to Detroit for a second interview, a back-and-forth about what exactly broke down took place. Johnson should be expected to remain a high-end HC candidate next year, but Dan Campbell will still have his services for 2024.

Kafka interviewed for the Seahawks’ HC job, and the Giants then blocked him from meeting with the NFC West team about its OC position. Rumblings about Kafka and Brian Daboll no longer being on great terms surfaced this year, with the latter yanking away play-calling duties — given to Kafka ahead of the 2022 season — at points in 2023. Taylor may also be on the hot seat with his team. Doug Pederson gave Taylor the call sheet last season, and Trevor Lawrence did not make the leap many expected. After a collapse left the Jaguars out of the playoffs, the team had begun to look into its offensive situation.

2023 OC hires

Jim Bob Cooter, Indianapolis Colts
Nathaniel Hackett, New York Jets*
Mike LaFleur, Los Angeles Rams
Joe Lombardi, Denver Broncos
Todd Monken, Baltimore Ravens*
Matt Nagy, Kansas City Chiefs
Drew Petzing, Arizona Cardinals*
Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas Cowboys
Bobby Slowik, Houston Texans*

Only nine of the 15 OCs hired in 2023 are still with their teams. One (Canales) moved up the ladder, while others were shown the door following that organization canning its head coach. The Eagles were the only team who hired an offensive coordinator last year to fire that staffer (Brian Johnson) after one season. Nick Sirianni fired both his coordinators following a wildly disappointing conclusion.

Hackett may also be drifting into deep water, given what transpired last year in New York. Rumblings of Robert Saleh — who is on the hottest seat among HCs — stripping some of his offensive play-caller’s responsibilities surfaced recently. This marks Hackett’s fourth chance to call plays in the NFL; the second-generation staffer did so for the Bills, Jaguars and Broncos prior to coming to New York. After the 2022 Broncos ranked last in scoring, the ’23 Jets ranked 31st in total offense. Hackett’s relationship with Aaron Rodgers has largely kept him in place, but 2024 may represent a last chance for the embattled coach.

Of this crop, Monken and Slowik were the only ones to receive HC interest. Neither emerged as a frontrunner for a position, though Slowik met with the Commanders twice. The Texans then gave their first-time play-caller a raise to stick around for C.J. Stroud‘s second season. Stroud’s remarkable progress figures to keep Slowik on the HC radar. Monken, who is in his third try as an NFL OC (after gigs in Tampa and Cleveland), just helped Lamar Jackson to his second MVP award. The former national championship-winning OC did not stick the landing — as Jackson struggled against the Chiefs — but he fared well on the whole last season.

Schottenheimer is on his fourth go-round as an OC, while Lombardi is on team No. 3. The latter’s job figures to be more secure, being tied to Sean Payton, compared to what is transpiring in Dallas. With the Cowboys having Mike McCarthy as the rare lame-duck HC, his coordinators probably should not get too comfortable.

2024 OC hires

Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills*
Liam Coen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers*
Ken Dorsey, Cleveland Browns
Luke Getsy, Las Vegas Raiders*
Ryan Grubb, Seattle Seahawks*
Nick Holz, Tennessee Titans
Kliff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders*
Klint Kubiak, New Orleans Saints*
Brad Idzik, Carolina Panthers
Kellen Moore, Philadelphia Eagles*
Dan Pitcher, Cincinnati Bengals
Zac Robinson, Atlanta Falcons*
Greg Roman, Los Angeles Chargers*
Arthur Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers*
Alex Van Pelt, New England Patriots*
Shane Waldron, Chicago Bears*

The 49ers do not employ a traditional OC; 16 of the 31 teams that do recently made a change. Most of the teams to add OCs this year, however, did so without employing play-calling coaches. This naturally raises the stakes for this year’s batch of hires.

Retreads became rather popular. Dorsey, Getsy, Moore, Van Pelt and Waldron were all OCs elsewhere (Buffalo, Chicago, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Seattle) last season. Smith will shift from calling the Falcons’ plays to running the show for the Steelers. Dorsey, Getsy and Van Pelt were fired; Moore and Waldron moved on after the Chargers and Seahawks respectively changed HCs. Moore and Smith will be calling plays for a third team; for Moore, this is three OC jobs in three years.

Coen, Kingsbury and Roman are back after a year away. Kingsbury became a popular name on the OC carousel, having coached Caleb Williams last season. This will be his second crack at an NFL play-calling gig, having been the Cardinals’ conductor throughout his HC tenure. This will be Coen’s first shot at calling plays in the pros; he was Sean McVay‘s non-play-calling assistant in 2022. Likely to become the Chargers’ play-caller, Roman will have a rare fourth chance to call plays in the NFL. He held that responsibility under Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco; following Harbaugh’s explosive 2015 49ers split, Roman moved to Buffalo and Baltimore to work under non-offense-oriented leaders.

Grubb, Holz, Idzik, Pitcher and Robinson represent this year’s first-timer contingent. Grubb has, however, called plays at the college level. Robinson is the latest McVay staffer to move into a play-calling post; he was a Rams assistant for five years. A host of teams had Robinson on their OC radar, but Raheem Morris brought his former L.A. coworker to Atlanta. Pitcher appeared in a few searches as well, but the Bengals made the expected move — after extending him last year — to give him Callahan’s old job.

* = denotes play-calling coordinator

Giants CB Adoree’ Jackson Addresses Pending Free Agency

February 15th, 2024 at 1:32pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Giants have a number of key free agent decisions to make with Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney set to hit the open market. The same is also true of cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, who recently doubled down on his desire to remain in New York on a new deal.

“The Giants are going to look for another corner and another team is going to look for a corner, which is me,” Jackson told Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. “I want to be there, but this is our break period… If I come back, it’s all good. If I don’t, is it going to hurt? It will, but I know it’s a business.”

That stance mirrors what he said in December knowing he was on the verge of free agency for the second time in his career. In the first instance, Jackson landed a three-year, $39MM deal after his run with the Titans. He has served as a full-time starter during his Giants stint, racking up 23 pass deflections and a pair of interceptions along the way. Jackson earned solid PFF grades in his first two Giants campaigns, but things took a turn for the worse in 2023.

The former first-rounder began the season in the slot to accommodate rookie Tre Hawkins. The latter was later benched, though, allowing Jackson to return to his familiar perimeter duties. He drew a PFF coverage grade of just 45.9, by far the lowest of his career. Jackson allowed a passer rating of 95.5 (his second-highest mark) and a pair of touchdowns as the nearest defender in 2023.

As a result, it would come as little surprise if the Giants looked elsewhere via free agency or the draft to add at the cornerback spot. New York invested a first-round pick in last year’s draft by adding Deonte Banks, but a starting-caliber replacement will be needed if Jackson does indeed depart. The 28-year-old made it clear being a member of a contender will be a top priority while noting his confidence that the Giants could fit the bill.

“I want to win a Super Bowl, and I know the Giants are capable of winning because we saw [in 2022] that it was a possibility,” Jackson said. “It boils down to the pieces and the staff being on the same page and doing the right thing to help us get there.”

The Giants made a surprise run to the divisional round of the postseason that year, but the team took a major step back in 2023. Whether or not Jackson will be a part of New York’s efforts to rebound from a disappointing campaign will be worth watching closely in the build-up to free agency.

Giants Block Cowboys’ Interview Request With Andre Patterson

February 13th, 2024 at 8:13pm CST by Ben Levine

The Giants have denied their defensive line coach an opportunity to interview with a division rival. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Giants denied the Cowboys’ request to interview defensive line coach Andre Patterson. The Cowboys were presumably looking to hire Patterson for the same role, and the Giants rejected the potential lateral move.

It’s not a huge surprise that new Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer tried to recruit Patterson to Dallas. The coaches worked alongside each other with the Vikings, where Patterson climbed his way up from defensive line coach to co-defensive coordinator. As ESPN’s Jordan Raanan points out, Zimmer and Patterson have a strong relationship, and the Cowboys wouldn’t have reached out unless the current Giants coach was at least entertaining the idea of a move.

On the flip side, there wouldn’t be much incentive for the Giants letting a respected coach walk to a division rival. Patterson has spent the past two seasons in New York, and despite an overhaul of the defensive coaching staff this offseason, the veteran coach was one of the few to stick around. In fact, the Giants made it clear to potential defensive coordinator candidates that they intended to keep Patterson on their next defensive staff (per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post). During his time in New York, the DL coach has been credited with guiding Dexter Lawrence to two All-Pro nods.

Patterson has been coaching since the ’80s, spending time in both the NFL and college football. He often held the title of defensive line coach, including a three-year stint with the Cowboys in the early 2000s. Zimmer coaxed him out of the NCAA back in 2014, and Patterson has spent nearly the past decade coaching in the NFL.

As Art Stapleton of USA Today points out, the move could also be a bit of payback from the Giants organization. When Zimmer was in Minnesota, he denied the Giants’ request to interview Kevin Stefanski for an offensive coordinator job despite already having an offensive coordinator of his own (John DeFilippo).

Giants Attempted To Bring Back QB Davis Webb Following Daniel Jones’ Injury

February 13th, 2024 at 9:48am CST by Adam La Rose

Daniel Jones‘ ACL tear derailed the Giants’ 2023 quarterback plans. New York finished the campaign with a combination of Tyrod Taylor and Tommy DeVito under center, but the team also eyed a reunion with a familiar face.

Broncos head coach Sean Payton revealed during a recent appearance on the Up & Adams show that the Giants attempted to bring back Davis Webb after Jones’ injury (h/t Dan Duggan of The Athletic). 2023 marked the beginning of Webb’s coaching career, taking over as Denver’s QBs coach, so a move sending him back to the playing field certainly would have been noteworthy.

Webb was a Giants third-rounder in 2017, but his regular season playing debut came in 2021 with the Bills. His time in Buffalo allowed him to work with then-OC Brian Daboll, who took on the Giants’ head coaching position the following offseason. Webb followed Daboll to New York in 2022, and he started the regular season finale amidst questions regarding his playing future.

The 29-year-old made it clear during the waning days of his playing tenure that he would be transitioning to the coaching ranks. The Bills were eyeing him as their QBs coach in 2022, before Webb elected to remain a player for one more season. He came highly recommended to Payton while he was assembling his first Broncos staff, and it came as little surprise he found an NFL coaching opportunity immediately after hanging up his cleats.

Before and after Jones’ injury, the Giants’ play at the QB spot was generally underwhelming. The position is again a source of speculation even though Jones is attached to the four-year, $160MM contract he inked last offseason. Bringing in Webb as a late-season stop-gap would have been an unusual course of action, though his familiarity with Daboll’s system likely would have allowed him to step into a starter’s role somewhat smoothly. In any case, he will move forward with his coaching responsibilities while New York seeks clarity on the QB depth chart in 2024 and beyond.

Updated 2024 NFL Draft Order

February 12th, 2024 at 8:58am CST by Adam La Rose

With Super Bowl LVIII in the books, the 2023 campaign has come to a close. Teams outside Kansas City and San Francisco had already turned their attention to the offseason well before Sunday’s game, of course.

Regular season standings determine the order for the top 18 picks, so they have been known since the conclusion of Week 18. For the second straight year, the Bears face the question of dealing away the top selection and starting over at quarterback or re-committing to Justin Fields. Expectations still point toward Caleb Williams heading to Chicago, although the Bears will not move the No. 1 pick at a discounted price.

With the Commanders also in position to add a signal-caller second overall, the Patriots and Cardinals will be worth watching closely. New England will be in the market for a QB, but it may not come via the team’s top selection. Arizona’s position could also be a trade-up target for teams seeking a quarterback addition. This year’s class is expected to be dominated by blue-chip prospects under center, as well as at wide receiver and offensive tackle.

The final 14 spots in the draft order are filled by postseason results. The Chiefs find themselves in familiar territory picking at or near the end of the first-round order for the fourth time in the past five years following another Super Bowl appearance. The team has a mixed track record with its selections in that regard, but another impact rookie would of course help its bid to sustain its impressive run.

While a number of selections will no doubt be swapped between now and draft day, here is the full 2024 first-round order:

Chicago Bears (via Panthers)
Washington Commanders: 4-13
New England Patriots: 4-13
Arizona Cardinals: 4-13
Los Angeles Chargers: 5-12
New York Giants: 6-11
Tennessee Titans: 6-11
Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
Chicago Bears: 7-10
New York Jets: 7-10
Minnesota Vikings: 7-10
Denver Broncos: 8-9
Las Vegas Raiders: 8-9
New Orleans Saints: 9-8
Indianapolis Colts: 9-8
Seattle Seahawks: 9-8
Jacksonville Jaguars: 9-8
Cincinnati Bengals: 9-8
Los Angeles Rams: 10-7
Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-7
Miami Dolphins: 11-6
Philadelphia Eagles: 11-6
Houston Texans (via Browns)
Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
Green Bay Packers: 9-8
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 9-8
Arizona Cardinals (via Texans)
Buffalo Bills: 11-6
Detroit Lions: 12-5
Baltimore Ravens: 13-4
San Francisco 49ers: 12-5
Kansas City Chiefs: 11-6

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