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New York Giants News & Rumors

Panthers Block Giants, Dolphins Ejiro Evero DC Interview Requests

January 28th, 2024 at 6:32pm CST by Adam La Rose

Ejiro Evero remains connected to a number of moves sending him out of Carolina, but such an agreement may not be possible. The Panthers defensive coordinator has had another pair of interview requests denied.

[RELATED: Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker]

Carolina has blocked DC interviews for Evero with the Giants and Dolphins, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network notes (video link). Teams are allowed to block coordinators from making lateral moves, as the Panthers have already demonstrated during this year’s hiring cycle. The team prevented the Jaguars from speaking with Evero for their DC vacancy.

As Pelissero adds, it is unknown at this point if Evero wishes to remain in Carolina if another DC position awaits him elsewhere. The 43-year-old interviewed with the Seahawks for their head coaching position for the second time on Saturday, meaning he remains in the running for that post. Evero has not served as a head coach before, and he has just a pair of seasons as a coordinator (one each with the Broncos and Panthers) to his name.

In spite of that, his success both in Denver and Carolina has landed him on the HC radar. Evero guided the Broncos to a seventh-place finish in total defense last year, and the Panthers ranked fourth in that category in 2023. The former Rams safeties coach has been linked to a potential L.A. return, and his name has also been floated with respect to the Packers’ DC vacancy.

Carolina’s staff was in a holding pattern to begin the hiring cycle, with it known a new head coach would be brought in. The Panthers have tapped Dave Canales as their hire, and his background as an offensive coordinator could give Evero a high degree of autonomy in charge of the team’s defense. With Canales in place, it will be interesting to see if the Panthers’ willingness to allow Evero to explore other options will change in the near future.

Miami saw Vic Fangio depart earlier this week after just one season in South Beach. The veteran staffer has moved quickly in taking on the DC role with the Eagles, leaving the Dolphins in search of not only better health on defense (compared to where things stood at the end of the campaign) but also another new voice to guide the unit. The Giants moved on from Don Martindale amidst reported tension with head coach Brian Daboll, putting an end to their two-year partnership. Both teams remain on the lookout for a new coordinator, but for now Evero will not be a part of that process.

Rams, Titans To Meet With Ravens’ Dennard Wilson; Second Giants DC Interview Scheduled

January 27th, 2024 at 6:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

One of several Ravens staffers who has generated interest around the league, Dennard Wilson remains a popular defensive coordinator candidate. Baltimore’s defensive backs coach is set to interview with the Rams and Titans for the first time, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. In addition, Wilson will meet for the second time with the Giants.

[RELATED: Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker]

Wilson was New York’s first known interview for the team’s DC vacancy, and that initial summit appears to have gone well. No other second interviews have been lined up for now as the Giants look for a Don Martindale replacement. Wilson had received an interview request from the Titans, but today’s update marks the first interest shown by the Rams.

Martindale initially appeared to be on track to remain with the Giants through 2024 despite reports of a rift between he and head coach Brian Daboll. In the end, though, the former parted ways with the team, creating a significant vacancy on Daboll’s staff. The Titans still have DC Shane Bowen on staff as things currently stand, but he will likely be headed elsewhere once new head coach Brian Callahan brings in staffers of his choosing. The Rams, meanwhile, recently saw Raheem Morris return to the Falcons to take on their HC gig, adding them to the list of teams in the market for a new coordinator.

Wilson has not served as a DC at the NFL level before, but he was a highly-regarded DBs coach during his time with the Eagles. He was a logical internal candidate to replace Jonathan Gannon last offseason, but Philadelphia elected to go outside the organization to fill the role. As a result, Wilson departed for Baltimore in a lateral move. He helped the Ravens post a number of strong statistical showings in 2023; the team ranked sixth against the pass during the regular season allowing 192 yards per game, and finished third in interceptions with 18.

Wilson is the only candidate to be connected to Tennessee’s vacancy for now, and he is the second to have a Los Angeles interview lined up. Having become a finalist with the Giants, though, the Titans and Rams will have competition for his services if they are impressed following their respective first meetings with him.

Giants Interview Chiefs LBs Coach Brendan Daly For DC Job

January 27th, 2024 at 5:05pm CST by Ely Allen

It’s taken long enough, but after 26 years of coaching at the college and NFL level, Chiefs linebackers coach Brendan Daly has finally gotten an interview for a coordinator position. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Daly interviewed with the Giants to potentially replace Don “Wink” Martindale as defensive coordinator.

Despite only being 48 years old, it’s been a long road for Daly to get this opportunity. After taking his first coaching job for a Florida high school in 1997, Daly spent eight years coaching at Drake, Villanova, Maryland, Oklahoma State, and Illinois State, coaching tight ends and defensive line. He got his first NFL opportunity as an assistant defensive line coach for the Vikings in 2006. Over the next 16 years, Daly worked as a defensive line coach for the Vikings, Rams, Patriots, and Chiefs, earning the run game coordinator title with the Chiefs for three years.

As a linebackers coach for the past two years, Daly has coached a group of underrated linebackers to help anchor a defensive unit that finished second in the NFL for both points allowed and yards allowed. He joins this pool of five other candidates as he endeavors to earn his first coordinator job:

Giants Hire Michael Ghobrial As ST Coordinator

January 25th, 2024 at 10:29am CST by Adam La Rose

The Giants have landed on a new special teams coordinator. The team announced on Thursday that Jets assistant Michael Ghobrial has been hired to take on the position.

New York moved on from Thomas McGaughey at the end of the season. That move had been expected, and it brought an end to his tenure in charge of the Giants’ special teams, which began in 2018. The team attempted to cast a wide net in searching for his replacement, but a number of teams blocked their attempts to speak with potential candidates.

In the end, though, the Giants managed to meet with a shortlist of staffers before arriving at a decision. The team spoke with Larry Izzo (Seahawks), Matt Harper (49ers) and Carlos Polk (Bears) in addition to Ghobrial. The latter is now set for an intra-city move and his first time working alongside Giants head coach Brian Daboll.

Ghobrial had a lengthy coaching career in the college ranks beginning in 2009. He worked as special teams coordinator with four different schools before taking on his first NFL gig with the Jets. A member of Robert Saleh‘s original group in 2021, Ghobrial was a key staffer working alongside Jets ST coordinator Brant Boyer during his time there.

The Jets ranked fifth in special teams DVOA this season, continuing the team’s strong run in that department during Boyer’s tenure. He remains in place, but his staff will be without a key contributor moving forward. The Giants, meanwhile, will aim to improve under Ghobrial after finishing 21st in third phase DVOA in 2023.

Giants’ Brandon Brown Books Second Chargers GM Interview

January 24th, 2024 at 10:12am CST by Sam Robinson

Seemingly close to hiring Jim Harbaugh as head coach, the Chargers look to be moving toward finalists for their GM position. Brandon Brown will be the first candidate given a second interview for the post.

The Giants’ assistant GM, Brown is in Los Angeles today for a second meeting, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Brown, whom the Giants hired in 2022, also interviewed for the Panthers’ GM position. Carolina ended its search this week by promoting assistant GM Dan Morgan.

Although Harbaugh would undoubtedly need to be paired with a GM he would not object to, a recent report indicated the veteran HC would not force the Chargers into a GM hire of his choosing. Harbaugh famously feuded with then-49ers GM Trent Baalke during their time together in San Francisco, helping lead the former to Michigan after four years.

Other Chargers HC candidates are still in the mix, but Harbaugh is the first to be given a second interview. With that meeting believed to have produced an agreement on Harbaugh’s HC salary, it would not surprise if a hire followed soon. As of now, the Chargers still have openings for their HC and GM roles.

A rising young exec, Brown joined Joe Schoen‘s Giants front office after years in Philadelphia. Brown also interviewed for the Vikings’ GM job in 2022, but this offseason’s GM carousel has featured a more prominent place for Schoen’s right-hand man. As shown on PFR’s General Manager Search Tracker, here is how the Bolts’ search looks as of Wednesday morning:

Giants Request DC Interview With Bills’ Bobby Babich

January 23rd, 2024 at 8:43pm CST by Ben Levine

The list of Giants defensive coordinator candidates continues to grow. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Giants requested permission to interview Bills linebackers coach Bobby Babich for their defensive coordinator job.

Babich has spent the past seven seasons in Buffalo, four of which he worked alongside current Giants head coach Brian Daboll. Babich started as an assistant defensive backs coach in Buffalo before earning a promotion to safeties coach in 2018. After four years in that role, Babich replaced his father, Bob Babich, as the Bills’ linebackers coach in 2022. During his first season as Buffalo’s LBs coach, Babich helped guide Matt Milano to his first All-Pro season.

Babich started his NFL coaching career with the Panthers in 2011. He later had a stint with the Browns before spending a single season at FIU.

As our 2024 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker shows, Babich is now the fifth candidate to potentially replace Don Martindale in New York. The rest of the group includes:

Elsewhere in New York, the Giants interviewed Larry Izzo this past weekend for their special teams coordinator vacancy, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. The former Patriots special teams ace was the Texans ST coordinator in 2016 and 2017. He’s spent the past six seasons in Seattle, including the past three as the special teams coordinator.

Izzo joins a growing list of candidates to replace Thomas McGaughey in New York. Matt Harper, Carlos Polk, and Michael Ghobrial were among the names previously connected to the open position.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/23/24

January 23rd, 2024 at 7:27pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s reserve/futures contracts:

Buffalo Bills

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Seahawks Arranging Second HC Interviews With Five Candidates

January 21st, 2024 at 8:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

Seattle’s first head coaching search since 2010 has seen a number of first interviews take place, and more are coming. A list of candidates set to receive a second look has emerged as well, however.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports Seattle is arranging second interviews with five head coaching candidates: Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, Raiders DC Patrick Graham, Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, Rams DC Raheem Morris and Cowboys DC Dan Quinn. Pelissero adds, though, that the list is likely to grow in time.

Each of those staffers has met with the Seahawks once already. The latter in particular was immediately floated as a top option to replace Pete Carroll given his ties to the organization. Quinn served as Seattle’s defensive coordinator from 2013-14, having also spent a pair of seasons there (2009-10) as the team’s defensive line coach. He has enjoyed regular season success during his time with the Cowboys, and Dallas’ postseason letdown has not taken him out of serious consideration for at least the Seahawks’ gig.

Evero, Graham and Morris join Quinn in having a background on the defensive side of the ball. Evero, like many other staffers on the Panthers, entered the 2023 season with notable expectations given his success with the Broncos. While Carolina struggled mightily on offense, Evero’s unit held up well in certain categories and finished fourth in total defense. He has drawn interest from a number of teams as a result, including the Panthers.

Morris, like Quinn, has NFL head coaching experience. The former took over after the latter was fired by the Falcons, and he also spent three seasons in charge of the Buccaneers. Morris has rebuilt his stock to an extent during his run with the Rams’ defense. He has been connected to four openings other than Seattle’s so far.

Graham’s NFL coaching career dates back to 2009, and he has worked as a DC with the Dolphins, Giants and Raiders. Las Vegas experienced a dramatic defensive turnaround after Antonio Pierce was promoted to interim head coach, and with him now having been given the position on a full-time basis, Graham could very well be on the way out. The 44-year-old held the title of assistant head coach during his time in New York, but he has never led a staff at the college or NFL levels.

As the only staffer with a background on the offensive side of the ball, Kafka’s inclusion on the list is notable. He was reported to be in danger of losing his position during the 2023 season, one in which little went according to plan for the Giants. Kafka has survived, however, and he will remain in New York for 2024 unless his second straight year receiving HC interest lands him an opportunity elsewhere.

Today’s news does not include a first interview being arranged with former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel. That is signficant given the connections made between he and the Seahawks in recent days. Vrabel has interviewed with the Falcons and Chargers, so the Seahawks could have competition for his services if they decide to meet with him. In-person interviews with coaches currently on NFL staffs cannot take place until after the divisional round is completed. Given that rule, and the volume of staffers reciving an extended look, Seattle’s search will likely continue for some time.

Coaching Notes: Giants, O’Brien, Panthers

January 20th, 2024 at 9:58am CST by Ben Levine

We’ve got another candidate for the Giants ST coordinator job. According to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, the Giants interviewed Jets assistant special teams coach Michael Ghobrial for the position.

Ghobrial has been with the Jets since 2021, working alongside Brant Boyer and Leon Washington. Prior to his stint in New York, the coach served as a special teams coordinator in the college ranks, spending time with Washington State, Hawai’i, and Tarleton State.

The Giants have been forced to pivot to assistant ST coordinator to replace Thomas McGaughey. The team was denied interviews with ST coordinators like Marquice Williams (Falcons), Chris Tabor (Panthers), and Ryan Ficken (Chargers), although Dan Duggan of The Athletic notes that the Giants could revisit their pursuit of Williams since Atlanta is no longer blocking interviews.

49ers assistant special teams coach Matt Harper and Bears assistant special teams coach Carlos Polk have reportedly interviewed for the job, while Seahawks special teams coordinator Larry Izzo has also been mentioned as a potential candidate.

More coaching notes from around the NFL…

  • Speaking of Thomas McGaughey, the former Giants ST coordinator is interviewing for the same job with the Patriots, according to Raanan. The veteran coach spent the past six seasons as the Giants special teams coordinator, serving on three different coaching staffs. McGaughey previously had stints as the ST coordinator with the Panthers, 49ers, and Jets.
  • While the Patriots have and will continue to consider a number of in-house options for both coaching and front office roles, one of their coordinators won’t be sticking around. We heard yesterday that Bill O’Brien was heading to Ohio State as their offensive coordinator, a somewhat surprising development considering the organization’s reliance on continuity in a post-Bill Belichick era. However, as Albert Breer of SI.com writes, the Patriots always intended to conduct a “full search” for a new offensive coordinator. This meant O’Brien wasn’t necessarily eschewing the New England opportunity; rather, he opted for the definitive offer at Ohio State vs. the potential offer with the Patriots.
  • As our 2024 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker shows, four of the 12 candidates for the Panthers HC job have defensive backgrounds. While the organization is certainly considering these defensive-minded candidates, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that the Panthers still prefer to hire an offensive-minded coach, per ESPN’s David Newton. The belief is that an offensive coach would be an ideal choice to help with the development of quarterback Bryce Young.

Coaching Notes: Vrabel, Seahawks, Quinn, Morris, Falcons, Staley, Browns, Giants, Izzo, Steelers, Rams

January 18th, 2024 at 6:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Seahawks have not met with Mike Vrabel yet, but interest is believed to exist on the NFC West team’s part. More smoke has emerged connecting Vrabel to Seattle. Several sources indicated this is a match worth monitoring, according to ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano, while the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora has heard Vrabel and Dan Quinn are the two names to watch with regards to the Seattle HC job.

Vrabel and Seahawks GM John Schneider are believed to be close, La Canfora adds. With Pete Carroll out of the picture, Schneider — who operated in a right-hand man role as Carroll held final say — is running the show in Seattle. Vrabel sought full personnel control in Tennessee when the team was between GMs, but the organization did not grant it. A structure in which Schneider holds final say but Vrabel possesses more input than he held with the Titans could make sense, but Quinn’s four seasons — spread across two stints, the latter two as a Super Bowl-bound DC — obviously provide a strong connection. The Dallas DC was also the first candidate mentioned for this opening. Quinn has a busy week on tap; the Cowboys’ DC is interviewing virtually with the Panthers, Chargers, Seahawks, Titans and Commanders.

Here is the latest from the coaching carousel:

  • Deviating from their Arthur Blank-era trend, the Falcons are believed to be eyeing a coach with experience. Raheem Morris represents an interesting choice, considering he was Atlanta’s interim HC in 2020, but La Canfora adds some around the league view this as a potential match. Sean McVay is advocating for his three-year DC, and a coaching agent informed La Canfora that Morris is believed to have left Atlanta the first time on good terms. Morris, who served as Buccaneers HC from 2009-11, was a Falcons staffer from 2015-20. Bill Belichick having a second interview booked does point to the ex-Patriots coach being the favorite here, however.
  • Duce Staley paid a visit to the Browns this week, according to CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson. The Browns just fired running backs coach Stump Mitchell and are in need at that post. Staley did not make it into December during his first season as Panthers RBs coach, joining QBs coach Josh McCown in being fired. But Staley has been an NFL backfield coach — with the Eagles, Lions and Panthers — since 2013.
  • The Browns are also interviewing Titans outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow, per veteran NFL reporter Paul Kuharsky. While incumbent D-line coach Ben Bloom is not believed to have been fired, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot confirms the Crow report, indicating Bloom could be reassigned. Crow was with Tennessee throughout Vrabel’s six-year tenure; Bloom has enjoyed two stints in Cleveland — 2009-10 and over the past four seasons under Kevin Stefanski.
  • Seeking a replacement for six-year special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey, the Giants are eyeing one of their Tom Coughlin-era assistants. Larry Izzo, the former Patriots linebacker who coached on Coughlin’s staff from 2011-15, is in the mix for the ST coordinator job, ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan tweets. Izzo spent the past three seasons as the Seahawks‘ ST boss, but with Carroll gone, the organization has given its assistants permission to explore other opportunities. Izzo broke into coaching in New York, serving as assistant ST coach before moving up the ladder elsewhere.
  • The Rams are losing their defensive line coach to the college ranks. USC announced the hiring of Eric Henderson, who spent the past five seasons as the Rams’ D-line coach. Henderson’s Los Angeles run will continue; he started his NFL coaching stay with two seasons as the Chargers’ assistant D-line coach. Henderson, 40, will become the Trojans’ co-defensive coordinator.
  • Steelers assistant Glenn Thomas will rejoin Matt Rhule, according to The Athletic’s Mitch Sherman, who notes the former Baylor and Temple assistant will become co-OC at Nebraska. Thomas spent one season with the Steelers, coming to Pittsburgh after being Arizona State’s OC in 2022.
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