EAST RUTHERFORD (N.J.) New York GiantsBrian Daboll’s team is already hard at work at 1925 Giants Drive. They’re not only fixing the team but also getting to know one another.
It is important because Daboll, unlike Joe Judge, did not just care about former co-workers. Daboll kept his mind open while building his staff. He has three coordinators with whom he has never directly worked before.
Daboll seems to be building a solid staff, which is perhaps the most crucial step for a new head coach. Mike Kafka is the offensive coordinator and highly regarded by the Kansas City ChiefsHe was the quarterbacks coach and passing games coordinator at the University of Minnesota. After serving the same role for the past four seasons, Don “Wink”, Martindale, is now the defensive coordinator. Baltimore Ravens. After declining the position, Thomas McGaughey was appointed the Giants’ special-teams coordinator. Carolina PanthersInterviewing for a similar job with the Los Angeles ChargersAnd Chicago Bears.
The coordinators were not the only ones who had success: the offensive line coach Bobby Johnson was successful in Buffalo; Drew Wilkins, the outside linebackers coach, would have been Martindale’s defensive coordinator if Martindale had landed a job as a head coach. Wide receivers coach Mike Groh was an offensive coordinator in Philadelphia and Anthony Blevins was hired to be the assistant special-teams coach. This was a great coup considering that he had applied for many coordinator positions.
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“I know” [the coordinators]Daboll agreed, saying that although they are in the league, it is not a relationship. “I have known them for many years, simply by being in this league.”
Daboll was likely to have another familiar face in his team, in addition Shea Tierney (quarterbacks coaches), Johnson (director of coaching operations) and Laura Young (director for coaching operations), who both worked with him in Buffalo. Patrick Graham, who had worked in New England with Daboll between 2013 and 2015, was expected remain as New York’s defensive coordinator if he wasn’t offered a head coaching job. This was up until the Las Vegas RaidersJosh McDaniels was the coach.
Graham accepted a position as defensive coordinator at the school, which forced Daboll to change. Martindale was the name Daboll had mentioned to him during his interview process. Martindale’s track record is not bad.
“Best [coordinator] I’ve had,” one veteran defensive player said. “I don’t know how he got fired.”
After a difficult season, it turned out that the split was more amicable between Martindale (the Ravens) and Martindale. A surprise nonetheless.
The Ravens’ defense was ranked in the top seven three times during Martindale’s four-year tenure as coordinator. They were ranked number one in the world in 2018, 2019, 2019 and 2020. They placed 25th last season.
Martindale will allow the Giants to keep their 3-4 base defense intact, which means they won’t have a major personnel overhaul. Martindale’s blitzing would create a pass rush because the Giants have some defense pieces, especially in the secondary. Martindale’s M.O.
Martindale does not coach fear. His defenses attract a lot people to the line-of-scrimmage using different looks and disguises to match a barrage. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, his units in Baltimore were amongst the top six for blitz percentage in each of his four years as coordinator. They were the first to achieve a 50.8% blitz percentage for 2019 and 45.3% for 2020.
Graham was viewed as a major loss by two NFL executives who admire the new Raiders coordinator. But both executives were nearly equally positive about Martindale.
One executive stated, “I have always thought really highly of him.”
The Giants special team seems to be in good hands. They were ranked 11ThPer Football Outsiders, DVOA was their best unit in the last season.
McGaughey led units that were ranked in the top half for the league three times in four seasons. McGaughey is respected by his peers as well as his players. This was evident by the interest shown in him this offseason.
The addition of Kafka seems to have been viewed positively by the league as the Giants attempt to improve their 31st-ranked offense. Andy Reid, Chiefs coach, has always admired the former Northwestern quarterback. Kafka, according to some sources, would have been Kansas City’s offensive coordination coordinator if Eric Bieniemy hadn’t landed a job at the head coaching position.
With Kafka as the passing coordinator, Kansas City’s offense was ranked amongst the top four over the past two seasons. Giants quarterback Daniel JonesDaboll is optimistic, having produced top-five offenses in his two years as Buffalo’s chief of staff, and Kafka leading the attack.
“I believe if you look at their success in Kansas City, I think they are doing a great job.” [Kafka]It was an important part of that. Jones stated this on the Breaking Big Blue podcast. “We’ll dive deeper into some of these football conversations and their views on how it all works out. But there are many smart football people with a lot to be proud of. [on the staff].”