Mar 022012
 

Giants Promote Sean Ryan to QB Coach and Kevin Gilbride, Jr. to WR Coach: The Giants have promoted Sean Ryan as the team’s new quarterbacks coach. Ryan had been the Giants’ wide receivers coach for the past two seasons. The quarterbacks coach vacancy was created when Mike Sullivan became the new offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last month.

To fill the vacancy at wide receivers coach, the Giants promoted Kevin Gilbride, Jr. from offensive quality control coach to wide receivers coach. Gilbride is the son of Offensive Coordinator Kevin Gilbride. Gilbride Jr. has been with the Giants since 2010. The Buccaneers tried to interview Gilbride Jr. last month for their quarterbacks coach job vacancy but the Giants denied the Buccaneers permission to do so.

“I spent a lot of time, talked to a lot of coaches, talked to a lot of people, some personnel people about some of the candidates that were out there,” said Head Coach Tom Coughlin. “Continuity is important. It’s not that I don’t think there are some talented people out there. But I do think that these two are very talented and the best approach we could possibly take would be to continue to support our players at those positions with people who are products of the system.”

“You would like to take people that are in the system, that understand the system, understand how we work, are very comfortable with the organizational scheme that we use in preparation,” said Coughlin. “What we have here in Sean Ryan and Kevin Gilbride were two young coaches, one being Sean, who had started out as a quality control coach, was very impressive in that role, and then was elevated to the wide receiver position, in which he did an outstanding job. Young Kevin Gilbride came in here as a quality control offensive assistant and his energy level, his enthusiasm, his overall optimism, the positive way that he attacks every job, and the importance of how well he performed his job – which makes everybody else’s job easier on offense – because the information that he puts forth is accurate. I really came to the conclusion that this was best for us.”

“The system stays the same, but the people that we have provided as the direct teacher/coach of the quarterback position have been people that have been in the system,” Coughlin said. “Even when Chris Palmer came here (in 2007), he was a product of the system, too. The first quarterback coach was Kevin Gilbride, so when Palmer left Sullivan made that move and he did an outstanding job. The communication between he and Eli was outstanding. And, of course, the quarterbacks coach and the quarterback work tirelessly with the receivers. So there has been great communication between Mike Sullivan and Sean Ryan and Eli.”

“Our coaches do a great job of communicating among themselves,” Coughlin said. “Kevin (the offensive coordinator) has demonstrated great patience with these young guys. That’s been important for me. They’re constantly checking with him to be sure the terminology is right and how it’s being explained is correct. And that is something that must be continued, that kind of an open communication policy from each position through the coordinators so everyone speaks with the same language. That was very critical to me.”

“The two things that I think will make this a good working relationship (with me and Gilbride Jr.) are, obviously, I’ve been in that chair, moving from (Gilbride’s) job to the wide receivers,” Ryan said. “I know what challenges he’ll face and I can at least give him advice as to what I did and he’ll have to decide how he wants to go about his job. He’ll do things his way. But also he was in the wide receiver meeting room for the last two years. He was working with the wide receivers. They know him, they’re comfortable with him. I know him, I worked with him on a daily basis. The wide receiver job and the quality control job are pretty closely related. So I’ve been working with Kevin on a daily basis for two years. We have a good working relationship, so I think it’s really going to help the change.”

“I think that’s a big advantage for us,” Gilbride Jr. said. “That’s what happened last time – Sean moved from quality control to receivers and Sully trained him in what his responsibilities would be at the wide receiver position. Sean trained me at the quality control position. It’s the same transition. When the new quality control coach comes in I’ll train him. Sean will train me on the receivers position and we’ll go from there.”

“I’m excited about Sean Ryan being the quarterback coach,” said QB Eli Manning. “He’s a guy that’s been in this system, worked his way from the ground up and spent two years with the receivers. He’s a young guy who is energetic. He’s driven to continue to learn. I know he’s going to get prepared for drills. I got a chance to talk to him yesterday and will continue to talk to him when we get back for the offseason program on what I want to work on, what I need to improve on and how we can get on the same page. Coach Sullivan and I did a great job communicating. That’s something that’s very important with a quarterback coach and I know we’ll have great communication and a great work ethic. Coach Ryan and I have worked closely together since he was with the receivers. I’m excited about him and I know we’ll have a great relationship. We shouldn’t miss a beat.”

“It’s a tremendous opportunity (to work with Manning),” Ryan said. “He’s obviously one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL and to have that experience to work with him – but even beyond his talent, the things that excite me the most are his professionalism and his work ethic and what he brings on a daily basis. I think it’s special to have a player like that and be able to work with a player like that that you know is going to give above and beyond what is expected. I think somebody who is that eager and wants to be that good and wants to get better like that, as a coach there is nothing more you can ask for than to work with a player who is that committed to getting himself better.”

“(Our receivers are) incredibly talented and the great thing about those guys is they have such different skill sets, but they can be incredibly dynamic in what they do,” Gilbride Jr. said. “If they continue to develop, they can be dominant receivers in this league for a long time and that’s what’s exciting – good, young, talented wide receivers who bring very specific and different skill sets to the table. It helps our offense to function.”

Giants Interested in Temple Coach?: According to The Star-Ledger, the Giants are interested in Temple assistant coach Matt Rhule as possibly the team’s new assistant offensive line coach. The Giants lost Jack Bicknell, Jr. to the Chiefs earlier last month when he was hired as Kansas City’s new offensive line coach.

CB Terrell Thomas Expects to Re-Sign with Giants: Soon-to-be unrestricted free agent CB Terrell Thomas, who is coming off an ACL tear to one of his knees, said on Sirius Radio yesterday that he expects to re-sign with the Giants.

“When you do the study on people coming off injury the best possibility is always to return to the same team that you were previously with,’’ said Thomas. “They know you best. Obviously this industry is a business so I’m definitely open to free agency, but the talks with the Giants are going very well. I don’t think they want me to hit the free agent market and so we’ll know in a couple of weeks whether I’m a free agent or I return to the New York Giants.”

Thomas was asked how his rehab was going. “I’m pretty much at a good-paced jog,’’ replied Thomas. “Not a sprint but a nice jog. I’m cutting, jumping, and next week I start cutting on the grass and get fitted for my knee brace, so it’s picking up. The fun part of rehab is definitely there. I’m doing lunges and squats. I’m squatting 300 pounds 10 times so I’m definitely confident and just looking forward to coming back in 2012 and showing everybody how hard I worked in this offseason.”

Giants Have Not Reached Out to LB Chase Blackburn: According to The New York Post, the Giants have not contacted soon-to-be unrestricted free agent LB Chase Blackburn and his agent about a new contract. “Chase loves being in New York with the Giants, that’s all he knows and all he wants to know,’’ said Blackburn’s agent.

WR Domenik Hixon Hopes to Re-Sign Today: Soon-to-be unrestricted free agent WR Domenik Hixon hopes to re-sign with the Giants today after having his reconstructed knee examined. Hixon tore the ACL in his right knee in 2010 and then again in 2011.

“I am going to see the team doctor first in New York and then go to the facility in New Jersey,” said Hixon. “After my physical I am expecting to meet with Jerry Reese and the powers that be. I am hoping to sign (on Friday).”

Giants Talking Contract With CB Justin Tryon: According to The Daily News, the Giants have been in contract discussions with soon-to-be unrestricted free agent CB Justin Tryon. Tryon was signed by the Giants last October after being waived by the Indianapolis Colts. He was put on Injured Reserve almost four weeks later with a fractured right arm.

More on Brandon Jacobs’ Contract Situation: HB Brandon Jacobs, who has one year left on his current contract, confirmed on Wednesday that the Giants are asking him to take a pay cut in order to remain with the team. Jacobs does not appear to be terribly receptive to that idea.

“I want to stay in New York a whole lot, man, because this is where I started,” said Jacobs. “It’s a great organization. I got wonderful, great teammates. I won a second Super Bowl here with this organization. But I’m not willing to sell my soul, you know? It’s a great organization and I want to be a part of it, but if they’re not feeling the same way, then so be it…I don’t know what they’re thinking. I want to be here. If not, there are 31 other teams out there.”

Jacobs is currently scheduled to earn $4.4 million in salary and a $500,000 roster bonus on March 17.

“I feel like I’m 25 years old,” said Jacobs. “I feel really good. I’m not banged up, didn’t have any surgeries this offseason, I didn’t have any problems. Nothing is hurting me. I feel great right now. I feel like I can give somebody about three more years and I’m looking forward to being done after that. But right now I’m not done. I’ve still got a lot of gas in my tank and I’m ready to go.”

Article on WR Victor Cruz: Cruz Walks Line Between Star and Shill by Aditi Kinkhabwala of The Wall Street Journal

Article on OT Will Beatty: Rebecca Helwig and Will Beatty by Vincent M. Mallozzi of The New York Times

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Eric Kennedy

Eric Kennedy is Editor-in-Chief of BigBlueInteractive.com, a publication of Big Blue Interactive, LLC. Follow @BigBlueInteract on Twitter.

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