Jan 242018
 
Tyke Tolbert, Denver Broncos (October 1, 2017)

Tyke Tolbert – © USA TODAY Sports

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REPORT – GIANTS HIRE TYKE TOLBERT AS WIDE RECEIVERS COACH…
9.News (Denver) is reporting that the New York Giants have hired Tyke Tolbert as the team’s new wide receivers coach. For the last seven seasons, the 50-year old Tolbert served in the same role for the Denver Broncos. Tolbert has also served as wide receivers coach for the Carolina Panthers, Buffalo Bills, and Arizona Cardinals. According to 9.News, Tolbert received “strong interest from multiple teams.”

  • 2018-Present: Wide Receivers Coach, New York Giants
  • 2011-2017: Wide Receivers Coach, Denver Broncos
  • 2010: Wide Receivers Coach, Carolina Panthers
  • 2004-2009: Wide Receivers Coach, Buffalo Bills
  • 2003: Wide Receivers Coach, Arizona Cardinals
  • 2002: Tight Ends Coach, University of Florida
  • 1999-2001: Wide Receivers Coach, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
  • 1998: Tight Ends Coach, Auburn University
  • 1995-1997: Tight Ends Coach, University of Louisiana Monroe
  • 1995: Wide Receivers Coach, Ohio University
  • 1994: Graduate Assistant, University of Louisiana Monroe
  • Pro Experience: None
  • Collegiate Experience: Wide Receiver, Louisiana State University (1988-1990)
  • Born September 15, 1967

DAVID MERRITT SIGNS WITH THE ARIZONA CARDINALS…
New York Giants Safeties Coach David Merritt has joined the coaching staff of the Arizona Cardinals. Merritt is the seventh Giants coach to depart this offseason, including Offensive Coordinator Mike Sullivan, Quarterbacks Coach Frank Cignetti, Jr., Wide Receivers Coach Adam Henry, Tight Ends Coach Kevin M. Gilbride, Offensive Line Coach Mike Solari, and Defensive Line Coach Patrick Graham.

REPORT – GIANTS SIGN RB TERRELL WATSON…
Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Terrell Watson tweeted on Tuesday that he has signed a contract with the New York Giants. Watson originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent with the Cincinnati Bengals after the 2015 NFL Draft. He has spent time with Bengals (2015), Cleveland Browns (2016), Denver Broncos (2016), Philadelphia Eagles (2016), and Steelers (2017). Watson has played in 10 NFL regular-season games with no starts, nine of which came with the Steelers. He only has accrued 36 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries in his NFL career. Watson is a big, bruising back with decent athleticism who does his best work between the tackles.

Sep 292017
 
Olivier Vernon, New York Giants (August 21, 2017)

Olivier Vernon – © USA TODAY Sports

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INJURY UPDATE…
Running back Orleans Darkwa (back), offensive lineman Brett Jones (hip), defensive end Olivier Vernon (ankle), and linebacker Jonathan Casillas (ankle/wrist) are officially “questionable” for the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

Running back Shane Vereen (calf), right tackle Bobby Hart (ankle), linebacker B.J. Goodson (shin), and cornerback Janoris Jenkins (ankle) are unofficially “probable” for the game.

SHANE SMITH SIGNED TO PRACTICE SQUAD…
Rookie fullback Shane Smith, who was waived by the Giants on Thursday, has been signed to the Practice Squad.

THE COACHES SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following coaches are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

ARTICLES…

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
There is no media availability to the New York Giants on Saturday. The Giants play the Buccaneers in Tampa on Sunday afternoon.

Jun 072017
 
Eli Manning, New York Giants (May 25, 2017)

Eli Manning – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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NEW YORK GIANTS POSITION COACH MEDIA SESSIONS…
Transcripts and video clips of Wednesday’s media sessions with the following position coaches are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

NEW YORK GIANTS OTA PRACTICES…
The New York Giants held two more Organized Team Activity (OTA) practices on Monday and Tuesday. Those practices were not open to the media or public. Teams may conduct a total of 10 days of OTA practices. No live contact is permitted, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills are permitted.

The team’s remaining OTAs will be held on June 8-9. A mandatory mini-camp will be held on June 13-15. Friday’s OTA practice will be open to the media.

Giants.com has provided the following notes from the last two OTAs:

OTA #7:

OTA #8:

ODELL BECKHAM, JR.’S ABSENCE FROM OTA’S CONTRACT RELATED?…
ESPN is reporting that New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. has been skipping the team’s voluntary Organized Team Activity (OTA) practices due to his desire for a new contract. Beckham is scheduled to make $1,839,027 in salary in the fourth year of his rookie contract. The Giants also picked up his $8+ million fifth-year option for 2018 earlier this offseason.

ROGER LEWIS ARRESTED…
TMZ is reporting that New York Giants wide receiver Roger Lewis was arrested last weekend in Ohio for operating a vehicle while impaired. Police told TMZ that they smelled marijuana on Lewis and noticed signs of intoxication. Lewis refused to take a breathalyzer test. Subsequent media reports say the police report indicated that police found Lewis in possession of 0.2 grams of marijuana suspected he was under the influence of alcohol.

The Giants signed Lewis as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2016 NFL Draft. Lewis made the team and played in 13 regular-season games with one start. He finished with just seven catches for 97 yards and two touchdowns.

JALEN WILLIAMS RELEASED FROM INJURED RESERVE…
The New York Giants have cut wide receiver Jalen Williams from Injured Reserve. Williams was signed by the Giants as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2017 NFL Draft. He was waived/injured on May 31 with an undisclosed injury and placed on Injured Reserve one day later.

ARTICLES…

Nov 182016
 
Victor Cruz, New York Giants (September 11, 2016)

Victor Cruz – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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NOVEMBER 18, 2016 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
Offensive guard Justin Pugh (knee) and offensive lineman Brett Jones (calf) have officially been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears.

Running back Orleans Darkwa (lower leg) and offensive lineman Adam Gettis (calf) are “questionable” for the game while wide receiver Victor Cruz (ankle) and wide receiver/returner Dwayne Harris (toe) are “probable.”

THE COACHES SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following coaches are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

ARTICLES…

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
There is no press availability to the team on Saturday. The Giants play the Chicago Bears at MetLife Stadium on Sunday at 1:00PM ET.

Sep 232016
 
Marshall Newhouse, New York Giants (August 20, 2016)

Marshall Newhouse – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
New York Giants free safety Darian Thompson (sprained foot), offensive tackle Marshall Newhouse (calf), and and defensive tackle Robert Thomas (illness) have been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Washington Redskins.

Running back Rashad Jennings (thumb) is “questionable” for the game while defensive end Olivier Vernon (wrist) is “probable.”

THE COACHES SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following coaches are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

ARTICLES…

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
There is no press availability to the team on Saturday. The Giants play the Washington Redskins at home on Sunday afternoon at 1:00PM EDT.

Aug 252016
 
Odell Beckham and Victor Cruz, New York Giants (June 15, 2016)

Odell Beckham and Victor Cruz – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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THE COACHES SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following coaches are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

ARTICLES…

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
There is no media availability to the team on Friday. The Giants play the New York Jets on Saturday at MetLife Stadium.

Apr 012016
 
Steve Spagnuolo, New York Giants (October 11, 2015)

Steve Spagnuolo – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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NEW YORK GIANTS POSITION COACH MEDIA SESSIONS…
Transcripts and video clips of Monday’s media sessions with the following coaches are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

GIANTS MEET WITH JERRAUD POWERS, BUT NO DEAL …
According to press reports, unrestricted free agent cornerback Jerraud Powers (Arizona Cardinals) did meet the New York Giants on Thursday and Friday. However, NJ.com is reporting that Powers apparently left without a deal.

The 28-year old Powers was originally drafted in the 3rd round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. He signed with the Arizona Cardinals as a free agent in March 2013. In seven NFL seasons, Powers has played in 87 regular-season games with 82 starts. In 2015, he started all 13 regular-season games he played in, and finished the season with 52 tackles, one sack, nine pass defenses, and one interception. Powers has 11 career interceptions.

ARTICLES…

Feb 172016
 
Steve Spagnuolo and Jonathan Casillas, New York Giants (November 1, 2015)

Steve Spagnuolo and Jonathan Casillas – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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Now that the dust has settled and the New York Giants have officially announced the make-up of Ben McAdoo’s coaching staff, let’s take a closer look at its composition.

Overall, not counting the head coach, there are 20 coaching positions. Eight of the 20 coaches are new to the organization. All three coordinators are holdovers from the Tom Coughlin era, with Mike Sullivan being promoted to offensive coordinator.

Offensive Coaching Staff (8 Coaches)

There are three offensive coaches new to the organization: Quarterbacks Coach Frank Cignetti, Jr., Wide Receivers Coach Adam Henry, and Offensive Line Coach Mike Solari. The holdovers are Offensive Coordinator Mike Sullivan (brought to the Giants by Tom Coughlin in 2004 and again in 2015), Running Backs Coach Craig Johnson (came aboard with McAdoo in 2014), Tight Ends Coach Kevin M. Gilbride (hired in 2010 and son of former offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride), Assistant Offensive Line Coach Lunda Wells (hired in 2012), and Offensive Assistant Ryan Roeder (hired in 2013).

McAdoo pursued former Miami Dolphins Head Coach and Green Bay Packers Offensive Coordinator Joe Philbin as an assistant head coach, but Philbin accepted the same position with the Indianapolis Colts instead. Philbin was McAdoo’s boss in Green Bay for five years. He probably would have served as a crutch for McAdoo if had come to New York.

It is interesting to note that five of the eight offensive coaches have experience as offensive coordinators with other teams, including Sullivan (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Cignetti (St. Louis Rams, Rutgers University, University of Pittsburgh, University of California, University of North Carolina, Fresno State, Indiana University of Pennsylvania), Johnson (University of Maryland and Virginia Military Institute), Henry (McNeese State University), and Solari (Kansas City Chiefs and University of Pittsburgh).

Offensive Coordinator Mike Sullivan: With McAdoo being promoted to head coach, the offensive coordinator position became vacant. To fill it, the 49-year old Sullivan was promoted to offensive coordinator. It remains to be seen how much influence Sullivan really will have. Other than 2015, Sullivan’s background is not based on the West Coast offensive system. And McAdoo has not yet publicly announced who will even call the plays. Sullivan was highly respected by Coughlin, but his two years in Tampa as offensive coordinator did not go well. With the Giants, Sullivan has coached wide receivers (2004-2009) and quarterbacks (2010-2011, 2015).

Quarterbacks Coach Frank Cignetti, Jr.: The 50-year old Cignetti is a well-travelled coach with a ton of experience as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He has never really worked with a quarterback the quality of Eli Manning. He replaces Sullivan, who was promoted to offensive coordinator.

Running Backs Coach Craig Johnson: The 55-year old Johnson arrived with McAdoo in 2014. Assuming McAdoo had some sort of influence in Johnson’s hiring, it is not surprising that that McAdoo retained him. Most of Johnson’s experience is actually coaching quarterbacks. He also served as assistant head coach of the Titans for one season.

Wide Receivers Coach Adam Henry: Odell Beckham, Jr. is extremely tight with the 43-year old Henry, who coached OBJ at LSU. At the pro level, Henry coached the 49ers’ wide receivers in 2015 and the Raiders’ tight ends in 2009-2011. He replaces Sean Ryan, who the Giants decided not to retain.

Tight Ends Coach Kevin M. Gilbride: The 36-year old Gilbride is now the longest-tenured Giants’ offensive coach, having arrived in 2010. When Gilbride was hired, fans feared it was pure nepotism on the part of the team given the fact that his father was the offensive coordinator at the time. Gilbride’s work as wide receivers coach in 2012-2013 was nondescript and he was re-assigned as the tight ends coach in 2014. Under his tutelage, Larry Donnell and Will Tye developed from no-name, small-school rookie free agents to viable pro targets.

Offensive Line Coach Mike Solari: The 61-year old Solari is the oldest coach on the team. He is considered one of the best offensive line coaches in the game, having coached very solid lines in Kansas City and San Francisco. Solari spent last season with Mike McCarthy in Green Bay, so he also now has a better understanding of the West Coast system. Solari replaces Pat Flaherty, whom the team chose not to retain.

Assistant Offensive Line Coach Lunda Wells: Interestingly, rather than bring in two new offensive line coaches, the Giants decided to part ways with Pat Flaherty and retain the popular Lunda Wells. The 33-year old Wells joined the Giants in 2012 and became the assistant offensive line coach in 2013 when Matt Rhule left to become Temple University’s head coach. Before coming to the Giants, Wells did assistant coaching work at LSU.

Offensive Assistant Ryan Roeder: The 36-year old Roeder came to the Giants in 2013 after serving as the tight ends coach at Princeton University for three seasons.

Defensive Coaching Staff (7 Coaches)

There are three defensive coaches new to the organization: Defensive Line Coach Patrick Graham, Assistant Defensive Line Coach Jeff Zgonina, and Linebackers Coach Bill McGovern. The holdovers are Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo (brought to the Giants by Tom Coughlin in 2007 and again in 2015), Cornerbacks Coach Tim Walton (came aboard with Spagnuolo in 2015), Safeties Coach David Merritt (the only coach remaining who came to the Giants with Tom Coughlin in 2004), and Defensive Assistant Rob Leonard (hired in 2013). In a nutshell, at the position coach level, the Giants decided to part ways with their front seven defensive coaches and keep their secondary coaches.

The big story here is the retention of Steve Spagnuolo despite the Giants not only finishing dead last in defense, but having the third-worst defense in NFL history. Alarmingly, Spagnuolo’s defense in New Orleans in 2012 was also the worst in NFL history. Since Spagnuolo is reportedly admired by ownership and was interviewed for the team’s head coaching position, one wonders if McAdoo had full autonomy to decide his fate.

Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo: It’s been eight years since the 56-year old Spagnuolo coached a decent defense as defensive coordinator. Since then, two of his defenses have ended up being the worst in NFL history. Spagnuolo has to prove that he can oversee even a competent defense without an all-star defensive line. Spagnuolo has NFL experience as a linebackers and defensive backs position coach, mainly with the Philadelphia Eagles. He was also head coach of the St. Louis Rams (2009-2011) and assistant head coach of the Baltimore Ravens (2014).

Defensive Line Coach Patrick Graham: The 37-year old Graham was highly respected and popular in New England. He has served as both defensive line coach (2012-2013) and linebackers coach (2011, 2014-2015) under Bill Belichick. Graham replaces Robert Nunn, whom the team chose not to retain.

Assistant Defensive Line Coach Jeff Zgonina: The assistant defensive line coach position is a new position on the Giants. The 45-year old Zgonina has only one year of coaching experience, but he played an astounding 17 years in the NFL as a tough, blue-collar, overachieving defensive tackle for seven teams.

Linebackers Coach Bill McGovern: The Giants passed on Mike Singletary to hire the 53-year old McGovern. McGovern coached linebackers at Boston College for 13 years before serving as the Philadelphia Eagles’ outside linebackers coach for three seasons. He replaces Jim Herrmann, whom the team chose not to retain.

Cornerbacks Coach Tim Walton: The 44-year old Walton came aboard with Steve Spagnuolo in 2015 so it isn’t a surprise that he was retained. Walton has experience as a defensive coordinator with the University of Miami, University of Memphis, and St. Louis Rams. He was the defensive backs coach for the Detroit Lions for four years (2009-2012).

Safeties Coach David Merritt: The 44-year old Merritt has been with the Giants now longer than any other coach, having arrived with Tom Coughlin in 2004. Since 2006, he has coached the team’s safeties and worked with Steve Spagnuolo on the Giants in 2007-2008 and 2015.

Defensive Assistant Rob Leonard: The 30-year old Leonard joined the Giants’ staff in 2013. Before that, he only did graduate assistant coaching work at North Carolina State University.

Special Teams Coaching Staff (2 Coaches)

No major change here given the fact that Tom Quinn will remain the team’s special teams coordinator, a position he took over in 2007. Larry Izzo, who had been the assistant special teams coach, departed as he received a promotion from the Houston Texans as their new special teams coordinator.

Special Teams Coordinator Tom Quinn: The much-maligned, 48-year old Quinn had arguably his best season as special teams coordinator in 2015. That said, special teams play was a factor in four losses (Saints, Patriots, Jets, Panthers). Like with Spagnuolo, one wonders if McAdoo had full autonomy to retain or dismiss Quinn.

Assistant Special Teams Coach Dwayne Stukes: The Giants probably preferred to keep Izzo. But with his departure, a vacancy had to be filled. The 39-year old Stukes has special teams coaching experience with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears.

Strength and Conditioning Coaching Staff (3 Coaches)

The major change here was at the top. After six consecutive injury-plagued seasons in a row, the team replaced Jerry Palmieri with Aaron Wellman. Palmieri had been with the Giants since 2004.

Strength and Conditioning Coach Aaron Wellman: The 41-year old Wellman has never coached at the pro level. But he is well-respected in the business and on top of the latest trends in sports training. He has worked at the university level at Indiana, Michigan State, Ball State, San Diego State, Michigan, and Notre Dame.

Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Markus Paul: The 49-year old Paul has been with the Giants since 2007 after having spent time with the Saints (1998-1999), Patriots (2000-2004), and Jets (2005-2006).

Performance Manager Joe Danos: The 35-year old Danos has been with the Giants since 2013. Before coming to the team, he spent time at the college level at LSU, SMU, and Florida State.

Overall, McAdoo decided to part ways with five coaches: Sean Ryan (wide receivers), Pat Flaherty (offensive line), Robert Nunn (defensive line), Jim Herrmann (linebackers), and Jerry Palmieri (strength and conditioning). The vacancies filled by the three other new guys were created by Mike Sullivan’s promotion, Larry Izzo receiving a promotion from the Texans, and the new assistant defensive line coaching position. Replacing the wide receivers, offensive line, defensive line, and linebackers coaches is no small move. But all three coordinators are holdovers from Coughlin’s staff plus the running backs, tight ends, cornerbacks, and safeties coaches.

Feb 162016
 
Ben McAdoo, New York Giants (January 15, 2016)

Ben McAdoo – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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GIANTS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCE COACHING STAFF…
The New York Giants officially announced their complete coaching staff on Tuesday, confirming what had unofficially been previous reported:

  • Offensive Coordinator: Mike Sullivan (with team 2004-11, 2015)
  • Quarterbacks Coach: Frank Cignetti, Jr. (NEW)
  • Running Backs Coach: Craig Johnson (with team since 2014)
  • Wide Receivers Coach: Adam Henry (NEW)
  • Tight Ends Coach: Kevin M. Gilbride (with team since 2010)
  • Offensive Line Coach: Mike Solari (NEW)
  • Assistant Offensive Line Coach: Lunda Wells (with team since 2012)
  • Offensive Assistant: Ryan Roeder (with team since 2013)
  • Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo (with team 2007-2008, 2015)
  • Defensive Line Coach Patrick Graham (NEW)
  • Assistant Defensive Line Coach Jeff Zgonina (NEW)
  • Linebackers Coach Bill McGovern (NEW)
  • Cornerbacks Coach Tim Walton (with team since 2015)
  • Safeties Coach David Merritt (with team since 2004)
  • Defensive Assistant Rob Leonard (with team since 2013)
  • Special Teams Coordinator Tom Quinn (with team since 2006)
  • Assistant Special Teams Coach Dwayne Stukes (NEW)
  • Strength and Conditioning Coach Aaron Wellman (NEW)
  • Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Markus Paul (with team since 2007)
  • Performance Manager Joe Danos (with team since 2013)

The Giants retained their defensive and special teams coordinators while promoting Mike Sullivan to offensive coordinator. Eight of the 20 coaches are new to the organization, including three on offense, three on defense, one on special teams, and one on the strength and conditioning staff. Full resumes of each coach are available in the Coaching Staff section of the website.

“This is a new staff,” said new Head Coach Ben McAdoo said. “Nobody was retained, there were no holdovers; everyone was hired. When I sat down with everybody on the staff, that was one thing I wanted to make clear. No one was retained, no one was a holdover. Everyone was hired here as part of a new staff.

“You have a nice group of guys who I’ve worked with in the past, and then there’s some I haven’t worked with, and some I’ve admired from afar. There’s a nice mix. We talked a lot about putting a staff together that fits, number one, that has great diversity, great personality, and great character, a staff of people who can teach the game. We feel we’ve done that.

“I think we have a nice mix of youth and experience. Even our young guys tend to have some experience when you look at it. I think we have good teachers who have high character and get the game and understand what we’re looking for from a vision standpoint.”

McAdoo also made the following points regarding specific coaches:

  • On Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo: “When you look back at this past season, it was great working with Spags. He’s a tremendous leader, gets the players to play hard. We feel that if we continue to develop the young guys, add some pieces to the puzzle, and keep them playing as hard as they played last year, we’ll make progress in the second year of the system.”
  • On Offensive Coordinator Mike Sullivan: “He’s a guy, in my mind, who’s an experienced leader of men who has a championship background. He’s been in this system now for a year, and he’s familiar with the building and the people in the building, and a lot of the players in the locker room. I like that continuity there.”
  • On Quarterbacks Coach Frank Cignetti, Jr.: “Frank Cignetti Jr. is a phenomenal teacher. He grew up in a version of the system from the ground floor. He has a great understanding of what we’re looking for fundamentally from the quarterback position.”
  • On Wide Receivers Coach Adam Henry: “Adam Henry has worked his way up from a small school, I admire that about him. He’s done a tremendous job working with talented players and we’re fortunate to have him… (His relationship with wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. is) a positive, but that’s not why he got the job. He’s earned the job. Anyone that thinks that about him hasn’t seen his work. The way you look at it, he’s worked his way up from a small school and has had an opportunity to work in a lot of big programs, teaching a lot of talented players and has gotten a lot out of those players. We expect that to continue here.”
  • On Offensive Line Coach Mike Solari: “Mike Solari, I’ve admired his work from afar for a long time. He had a chance to come from this system last year. He’s one of the best in the business. I look forward to seeing what he brings to the table in developing our young players.”
  • On Defensive Line Coach Patrick Graham: “Patrick Graham, he’s a guy that cut his teeth working up from some tough jobs. He’s knowledgeable, has some grit to him, and a great personality for the room. We feel that those guys will rally around him and he’ll have the chance to develop them.”
  • On Assistant Defensive Line Coach Jeff Zgonina: “He fits the profile we were looking for with 17 years playing in the league in the trenches, which speaks volumes. He’ll add a passion for technique, and bring an energy boost to the field for us. We look forward to him getting out there and getting in the mix with Patrick Graham and spending a lot of time detailing the performance of the guys in that room. Jeff also has a year of coaching experience – that is valuable. There may be a little bit of a learning curve there, which is normal. But 17 years of him playing in the trenches is very valuable for him to lean on…When you have four guys out there at a time – maybe more, maybe less, depending on the personnel group you’re playing with – having a couple sets of eyes and ears comes in handy. Guys being able to play off of each other on the coaching staff will help. Most staffs now have two offensive line coaches and most staffs, if you’re a 3-4 (defense), have an interior coach and an outside backer coach. The way it’s gone with the four-down line teams, you either have two coaches there, or a coach and an assistant. But they’ll work hand-in-hand.”
  • On Linebackers Coach Bill McGovern: “He has a ton of coaching experience. He’s very familiar with the division. He’s going to bring great energy to the building, great energy to the staff room. That usually filters down to the locker room. I look forward to working with Bill.”
  • On Assistant Special Teams Coach Dwayne Stukes: “Dwayne’s a guy who has a lot of experience for the position he’s coming in for, assistant special teams coach. He’s highly qualified for it. I feel like he’ll be able to breathe some life into the perimeter of our special teams, and get those guys going a little bit more, and provide some juice there. He’s a nice addition for us.”
  • On Strength and Conditioning Coach Aaron Wellman: “I worked with Aaron back at Michigan State (in 2001) when we were both cutting our teeth in the business… Aaron’s a guy that is a forward-thinker. He’s advanced in the sports performance arena, but he also has an edge to him. He can be tough when he has to be. That’s hard to find in this business these days. He’s got a nice combination of both. We feel that he’ll provide a nice lift to our program.”

The next challenge for McAdoo is developing cohesion within the new coaching staff.

“I think that it takes a little while,” McAdoo said. “It’s a marriage in a lot of different ways for a lot of different guys, a lot of different positions. The most important thing is we have to get everyone in here and get everyone speaking the same language. It helps that we do have some guys who have been around, and the systems are staying the same on offense, defense and special teams.

“At the end of the day, that’s not what drives any of the decisions. Systems are systems. You can go to K-Mart and get a good system. It’s more about the leadership, the character, and the fundamentals that are being taught. We like what we see there. We like what we have there. We felt that going forward in that direction was the way to go. We just have to train everyone to speak the same language, and teach the same from a fundamentals standpoint. That should give us a head start.”

GIANTS WORK OUT TWO EUROPEAN PLAYERS…
NFLDraftDiamonds.com reports that the New York Giants will work out two European players next week, English tight end Harry Innis and French wide receiver Anthony Dablé. According to NFL Draft Diamonds:

“Innis is a 6’7 tight end who we have featured many times on NFL Draft Diamonds. Innis is a tall tight end with soft hands. He entered the new program assisted by the NFL and former NFL player Osi Umenyiora a few months ago. Innis has the same size/attributes as Rob Gronkowski. He has been playing American football overseas and was a stud for Kiel Baltic of the German Football League, and finished last season with Senajoki Crocodiles.

“Dablé (is a) 6’4 physical wide out… Dablé is a very quick player with great hands. Both players played overseas and both were standouts in their conferences.”

NFL Draft Diamonds reports that both players have received interest from multiple teams, but their first work out is with the Giants.

ARTICLES…

Jan 152016
 
Ben McAdoo, New York Giants (January 15, 2016)

Ben McAdoo – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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BEN MCADOO’S INTRODUCTORY PRESS CONFERENCE…
Ben McAdoo was officially introduced as the new head coach of the New York Giants at press conference on Friday at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. McAdoo’s contract is a 4-year deal, running through the 2019 NFL season.

Opening Remarks by Team President/CEO John Mara (Video)
Thank you all for being here this morning. I am very pleased to be here formally to introduce Ben McAdoo, our new head coach. When we started this process about 10 days ago, we started to find a new leader for our football team. We wanted to find somebody who had the intelligence and the determination and the work ethic and the leadership skills to be a successful head coach in the National Football League. We believe we have that in Ben McAdoo.

Jerry Reese and I interviewed six excellent candidates for this position. Contrary to what I’ve read even a few places about this being an uninspiring group, nothing could be further from the truth. We felt all six were excellent and quite frankly I could’ve been happy with any one.

We brought Ben back in this past Wednesday and he sat with Jerry, myself, Steve and John Tisch and at the end of that session, we agreed that he is the man for the job. This is an exciting day for us. It begins a new era of Giants football and I would like to now introduce the man who’s going to lead us into that new era, our new head coach, Ben McAdoo.

Remarks by Head Coach Ben McAdoo (Video)
Thank you all for coming today. I am honored here to stand in front of you as the 17th coach in New York Giants history. I’d like to take the time now to thank the Mara family, the Tisch family and Jerry Reese for this opportunity and I’d also like to thank you for the way you conducted this search; very detailed, very organized and with class as always. Thank you.

There are some excited people back in Southwestern Pennsylvania. A lot of you have done your research, Homer City. My parents, Tim and Tina, I’d like to thank them, my sister, Jody, and my brother, Tim, as well as my in-laws, Dave and Renee. Thank you. I have my two children and my beautiful wife here with me. Could you stand up please? (laughs) My wife, Toni, my daughter, Larkin, seven, and my son, B.J., he’s three. Wouldn’t be here without them.

I’ve been very fortunate in my career there’s been a lot of coaches, a lot of players, a lot of administrators that have taken interest in me and my career. I wouldn’t be here without them and I am going to read you a list of names so bear with me there. Rick Foust, Rob Nymick, Jim Mill, the late Mark Hess, Scott Mossgrove, Paul Schager, Sal Sunseri, Walt Harris, Jim Haslett, Jack Henry, Mike McCarthy and the Green Bay Packer family, Joe Philbin, Aaron Rodgers, Brett Favre, Donald Driver, Donald Lee, Jermichael Finley, Bob and Lynn LaMonte, Mark Schiefelbein, Matt Baldwin, excuse me, Eli Manning and the Giants locker room, Tom Coughlin and the New York Giant family and staff. Thank you.

It’s been a privilege and an honor the last two years to serve under Tom. He’s made a big impact in my life as a coach and as a person and his discipline, punctuality and success are obviously legendary. Thinking of a way to honor Tom, there are so many ways we can do it but I figure the best way would be when I first walked into the building he looked at me and said, ‘don’t mess with the clock.’ (laughs) When you look to the right here, we have our digital clocks they’re all five minutes fast and we’re going to stick with that, that’s TC time, that’s a part of Giants culture now.

My next message is to Giants fans, Giants fans everywhere. I realize that this fan base is tough, it’s passionate and deserves a winner. This is the capital of the world and this is the football capital of the world and with that comes a certain amount of pressure, a pressure that I look forward to, our staff and our players will look forward too. This job is not for the faint of heart and I’m the right man for the job. I’m hardened, battle tested and I’ve been groomed for this opportunity by Super Bowl winning coaches, players and organizations. We’re going to assemble a staff and a locker room that the fans can rally around. We’re going to set our jaw and we’re going to get to work.

The vision for this football team goes in to winning and putting that fifth Lombardi trophy in the case. That is our goal and that is the vision. To accomplish that four things need to take place, four elements. The first is strong leadership, the second is we need to surround that leadership with talented men and women of integrity, the third is a positive working environment needs to be created starting and maintaining with myself and it needs to inspire teaching, learning and accountability. The last point—the last element, excuse me, is comprehensive structure and function. We will have a value system in place. Football is a people business and it starts with relationships. Three value system, excuse me, three values what we will incorporate are respect, humility and dedication. Dedication, obsessed is a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated. We will be dedicated in our football.

Lastly is our team identity. What do we want our tape to look like? It’s about the film. When you turn a film on, what do we look like on film? Our offense, our defense, our special teams must play as one and our identity will be sound, smart and tough – committed to discipline and poise. With that I’ll open it up to questions.

Q: What’s the challenge of being the head coach? What are the things that make the transition from assistant coach to head coach that you’re really concerned about?

A: It’s large-scale leadership. When you’re coaching a position whether it’s tight ends or quarterbacks, you’re the head coach of that position room. When you broaden out and you have the opportunity to get in front of an offense, you’re the head coach of the offense and now I have a chance to get my hands on the whole team and I look forward to it.

Q: One thing John Mara said was he wanted a coach that had something to prove. He said you had something to prove in the statement yesterday. What do you think you have to prove?

A: I hold myself to a very high standard, I’m my biggest critic. Every night, I take pride in being able to look in the mirror and know that I did my best to get the job done.

Q: You said you had a conversation with Tom Coughlin saying don’t touch the clock. When did you have that conversation and what was the conversation about?

A: It was ‘don’t mess with the clocks,’ and there may have been an adjective or two in there (laughs). But it was great learning through Tom. Being five minutes ahead of schedule is very valuable.

Q: When was that?

A: Being five minutes ahead of schedule is very valuable.

Q: But when was that conversation?

A: When was it?

Q: Yes.

A: First day. First day.

Q: Have you talked to him since you agreed to take this job?

A: Yes, I just talked to him.

Q: And did he impart any particular wisdom on you?

A: Good luck.

Q: Ben when you first got here I remember you saying everybody is going to have a clean slate as far as players. Is that the same for coaches you’re going to take as you go through the evaluation period?

A: Our theme moving forward this year is evolution, not revolution. We’re going to have an opportunity to carry something over, some things we won’t. We know more about each other now than we had when I got here and we’re going to build off things we do well and work on fixing the things we don’t do well.

Q: Ben it’s usual for a coordinator to become a head coach but he does it at a different team. Is there a challenge you see going into the same locker room that you had been a coordinator and now you’re the head coach? You’re looked at differently maybe by other guys?

A: I think in any job it’s important to set up boundaries, you want to build relationships, but I think it’s important whether it’s with the staff or in the locker room that I establish those healthy boundaries right away.

Q: Have you finished building your staff?

A: No. With this happening so quickly, the staff is very fluid at this point and we had a chance to talk to a bunch of different guys, but nothing is set in stone. There’s nothing to report at this time.

Q: Will Steve Spagnuolo be back?

A: The discussions are fluid and ongoing. There’s nothing I want to report. When we have something definite, we will report.

Q: Will you continue to call the plays, Ben?

A: It goes back to the question about the staff. When our staff is complete and we feel comfortable releasing that, we’ll talk more about it. I feel that’s a competitive advantage for the opponent so that’s not something we need to necessarily talk about.

Q: Aaron Rodgers praised you for keeping things fresh and challenging him. As you expand that role and, like you said, build boundaries from focus of quarterback to coordinator now head coach, how important is keeping things fresh and new message become?

A: I think it’s always good to shake things up, especially from a scheduling perspective. Not always having the same schedule, changing whether it’s each quarter of the season or each week in the offseason, but we’re going to do some things to shake it up and keep it fresh. But at the same point and time, the fundamentals are called fundamentals for a reason, they’re the foundation and we’re not going to waiver there. We’re going to keep pounding those home.

Q: How would it feel to have a trusted confidant like Joe Philbin back with you? You guys won a Super Bowl together so how’s it going to feel to be reunited here in New York?

A: How’s it going to feel to have…

Q: To be reunited?

A: He’s coming?

Q: Assistant head coach?

A: Joe Philbin I think the world of. I think he’s a talented man, talented coach, one of the best I’ve been around, think the world of him, but, like I said, the staff is fluid and there’s nothing to report at this time.

Q: When you talk about fixing the locker room and what went wrong, how important is it to you to understand why this team in the final minutes of games last season failed so often?

A: We’re going to go back and a big part of what we’re going to do here coming up and moving forward is taking a look back at last season, studying each game and going back and studying each situation, taking a look at what we can do better in all three phases to fix the problem. And once we do fix the problem, we’ll address it in the practice schedule, we’ll practice those situations and we’ll take that rearview mirror we’ll rip it off, throw it in the back seat and look out the windshield.

Q: How important is it to you, if you at all, make changes to this staff so it’s not the same environment or is that a concern to you at all or is that something you don’t particularly worry about?

A: Like I said, we’re right now evolution not revolution. There are a lot of good coaches around the league and we’re going to sit down and talk to some different people and not rush into anything and take our time.

Q: Obviously you had a good look at the roster these last two years and you know the record. Now that you take over, do you have a sense of how long you think it will be for this team can get back to being that championship contender again?

A: We’re not looking to rebuild, we’re looking to reload and we’re going to start in a couple of minutes.

Q: Having been the offensive coordinator the last two years, you’ve been with Eli, how does that help your transition to being the offensive coordinator to now head coach?

A: Anytime you have an opportunity to work at a great organization like the New York Giants and the Green Bay Packers and work with great players like Eli Manning and Aaron Rodgers and sit in the same room as Brett Favre, it’s an opportunity to learn and grow and you really see what it’s supposed to look like and feel what it’s supposed to feel like. When you have your chance, when you have your opportunity, you need to jump in with both feet and make it happen.

Q: What did it mean to you that Eli was so vocal about wanting you to stay here?

A: I haven’t really sat down and thought about it. I respect Eli’s opinion. I’m appreciative of the endorsement.

Q: Was there a point in this process you thought you might be the new Eagles head coach?

A: Did I think I would be the new Eagles head coach? I’m very happy to be a New York Giant. This is home for me and my family and we look forward to the challenge here.

Q: You moved around a lot in your career. How important was to this whole process that you’re going to stay here now for a while?

A: Before Green Bay I had eight jobs in six years bouncing around quite a bit. Being here for two now and having a chance to put down roots and establish some success and build a winner, like we said, it’s all about putting the fifth trophy in the case. We want to put that fifth Lombardi trophy in the case that’s what we’re working for and that’s just as important as anything.

Q: You say you’ve been groomed for this and you talk about how the program in Green Bay prepared you to be a play caller. What kind of things specifically do they do there that groom someone to be a head coach?

A: I think it’s the openness and the dialog with which business is conducted whether it’s the quarterbacks coach to the coordinator to the head coach to the quarterback and all being a part of the process there in front of the process of scheduling and doing the research and you put your time and effort in there. We’ve gone through some things here the last couple years and we’ve made some progress and I’m excited about the future, I’m excited about the changes we made last year and some of the scheduling changes that will be done and taking those a step further and moving forward.

Q: This is your first head coaching job. Was there one piece of advice you received along the way from someone that sticks with you?

A: Keep the main thing the main thing and that’s the football.

Q: Who told you that?

A: I’m going to keep that in wraps.

Q: Being the head coach is one thing, becoming the head coach of football Giants, it has a ring to it and it comes with pressure. How do you expect to embrace that pressure?

A: I like the pressure. This is what you live for. This is the opportunity of a lifetime. It’s the capital of the world, it’s the football capital of the world. What could be better than this type of opportunity and this type of pressure? You prepare for it and I’ve been a guy that’s always been baptized by fire and I’m comfortable with it.

Q: It was only 14 years ago that you were an assistant coach at high school. Have you thought at all about how, I mean it’s kind of a quick rise to the ranks from starting at a pretty low spot, have you had a chance to think back on that journey about how quickly it’s gone?

A: You don’t have time to reflect quite like that. You know what, I probably lived some dog years, for a while. I thought people were trying to kill me in some of the jobs I’ve had, but all it does is make you stronger, you get to learn a lot more and it’s been an interesting journey.

Q: Does this feel at all like a quick rise?

A: No. I think it took too long.

Q: How much saying are you going to have on personnel?

A: No, Jerry and the personnel side will do personnel. I’ll coach the team that’s my responsibility. We’ll have open dialog back and forth and we’ll communicate on what we feel our needs are and how we can get better and improve, but at the end of the day it’s about the coaches and the personnel and the locker room all pulling in the same direction. We all have to be in this thing together.

Q: When you came in a couple years ago, Tom and Eli were both talking about learning from you, learning your offense, even Tom said he had to learn and he felt uncomfortable but it was good. Do you think that helped your credibility in here that people who were already established here were looking to you to teach them things, teach them something new?

A: I’ve been very fortunate that going from New Orleans to San Francisco I was one of the few guys on the staff that had to teach a new offense to some older, grizzly vet coaches and I had to do the same thing in Green Bay. Coming here I felt comfortable doing it. Being the third time going through it helped me and it worked out fairly well, not as well as we would’ve liked. We felt we could’ve carried things a little bit better this year than we did, but you live and you learn and new opportunities come along.

Q: This franchise has had a history of great defense. What’s the challenge there to get back to it?

A: It goes back to our identity and what we want our film to look like and the way we want to train our guys and it goes to fundamentals. The first part of the identity that we talked about, we have to be sound fundamentally and we have to be smart and we talk about being smart, the best players are always the smartest players. They always have been, always will be and that’s the responsibility of the player and head coach to be in position to be successful. So that’s a good place to start for our identity.

Q: One of the main themes the last few years has been injuries. Do you have any theories about why those numbers have been so high and do you have any plans?

A: That’s something we’re going to dive into that here shortly. That’s a part of a lot of the things that we’re talking about right here. We’re going to take a look at everything and examine it, not rush into any decisions, be smart about it, but that’s something that we’re looking into.

Q: Have you had any discussions with Coach Spagnuolo for the progression of this defense?

A: Spags and I have had some conversations and, again, the staff is fluid at this point, but we did have some conversations on some things and being the second year in the system is going to help some guys. It’s going to help them with the foundation being set, it will let them play faster, they’ll be able to anticipate things and install. Again, we want to chase that identity and be fundamentally sound and smart, tough and committed to discipline and poise and when you can put those things together and it shows up on the film and we play complimentary football, not all the defense, offense, the defense and the special teams need to play as one and that’s my responsibility.

Q: You’re following a coach that was here for 12 years and won two Super Bowls, what is the challenge with if there’s a shadow or differentiating yourself and making it your own, especially following someone like Tom?

A: The most important thing when we talk about leadership is you got to be yourself. Everybody else is already taken, including Tom, so I can’t worry about being in Tom’s shadow, I got to be comfortable in my own skin and I am that.

Q: How do you view yourself being different than him in your estimation?

A: I’m just going to be myself, I’m not going to worry about it.

Q: You are the second youngest coach in the league right now. You mentioned several times you feel ready, you said before it took too long to get here, but I would imagine, can you understand that some Giants fans are looking and saying, the guy is 38 years old, he’s a young coach, there’s no proof?

A: Yeah, I understand that completely and the fans look at a lot of things through a critical lens and it’s my job to get the staff and the players and get them rallied around each other, put good product on the field, and until we play that first Sunday of the season, they have the right to look at everything through a critical eye. Follow what your film looks like.

Q: Over the past 10 days in radio interviews John Mara has mentioned he wasn’t comfortable with the sideline how it reacted during the Panthers game with Odell. I’m just wondering did you address that with him during your interview and would you look at the situation as a head coach and handle it differently than it was handled?

A: Football is a people business and it’s about relationships. After what happened on the sideline in Carolina game, I should’ve been better and I take full responsibility for that. Odell feels as bad as anybody about it and it’s my job to pull him out of that when we go down that road.

Q: Do you have a time table for when your staff becomes not fluid and is real?

A: No. We don’t want to rush into anything and things have happened quickly over the last couple of days so we’re just in the beginning stages of it right now. When we know, you’ll know.

Q: You’ve spoken a lot about your journey in coaching and getting to a certain point. When you started this during this journey, did you have a destination in mind?

A: The way I was brought up in this business is you keep your head down and you keep working and that’s what I’ve done and that’s what I will continue to do. I just make myself available to the whole team.

Q: The draft is over 100 days away and you mentioned you’re going to let Jerry handle these type of things, but how much of a role will you play in those proceedings?

A: We’ll support Jerry any way we can. We want to get the coaches and personnel department pulling in the same direction and do whatever we can to help evaluate a guy and move in that direction.

Q: Being with this team for a couple years now, is there any position that you’re focusing on?

A: Well it goes back to we’re just ready to go down that road. We’ll start that here tomorrow and start the process of evaluation and cut-ups and looking at personnel. Personnel side already has, they’re knee-deep into the study at this point, but the coaching staff needs to start with the comb and begin that way.

JOHN MARA’S POST-PRESS CONFERENCE REMARKS…
The transcript of team President and CEO John Mara’s post-introductory press conference remarks is available in The Corner Forum. The video is available at Giants.com.

STEVE TISCH’S POST-PRESS CONFERENCE REMARKS…
The transcript of team Chairman and Executive Vice President Steve Tisch’s post-introductory press conference remarks is available in The Corner Forum.

JERRY REESE POST-PRESS CONFERENCE REMARKS…
The transcript of Senior Vice President and General Manager Jerry Reese’s post-introductory press conference remarks is available in The Corner Forum. The video is available at Giants.com.

JOHN MARA AND BEN MCADOO ON WFAN RADIO..
The audio of Friday’s WFAN Radio interviews with New York Giants President and CEO John Mara and Head Coach Ben McAdoo is available at CBS New York’s website.

REPORT – DAVID MERRITT TO REMAIN WITH GIANTS…
According to FOXSports, New York Giants Safeties Coach David Merritt will remain with the team. Newsday had reported that Merritt was drawing interest from the Indianapolis Colts. Thus far, the only assistant coach to leave Tom Coughlin’s staff has been Linebackers Coach Jim Herrmann, who was hired by the Colts.

GEOFF SCHWARTZ ON ESPN RADIO
The audio of Thursday’s ESPN Radio interview with offensive guard Geoff Schwartz is available at ESPN.com.

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