Giants would be just one coveted opening
If the Giants join the market of teams looking for a new coach, Daniel Jones will be selling point No. 1.
But the Giants will find other teams are going to brag about their young quarterbacks, too.
Here is how The Post ranks the desirability of a possible Giants’ opening — if, as expected, this is Pat Shurmur’s last week on the job — compared to seven others open or potentially about to become open on Black Monday. 1. COWBOYS (7-8)
COACH: Jason Garrett (10th season, 84-67) PROS: One of the NFL’s best rosters. Young stars on both sides of the ball, at the skill positions and in the trenches. Even with Super Bowls won by the Eagles and Giants, the NFC East has been a mediocre division most of the 2010s and should remain wide open.
CONS: Jerry Jones hired six coaches in his first 18 years as owner/general manager. He found stability in Garrett, but that’s because Garrett bent to Jones’ wishes whereas a more outspoken coach might not have. The Cowboys eventually are going to land in salary-cap hell, and it’s time to pay up on Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper. 2. BROWNS (6-9)
COACH: Freddie
Kitchens (first season, 6-9) PROS: There’s plenty of talent, thanks to a stockpile of draft pick, shrewd trades and a willingness to gamble on red-flagged players. Expectations were unrealistic in 2019, but will be tempered in 2020. At least Baker Mayfield’s crash from a historic rookie quarterback year is not injury-related.
CONS: Juggling a lot of big personalities (Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Mayfield) is a job for a seasoned veteran, not a first-timer. The Browns just might be cursed for firing Bill Belichick. The rival Ravens are set up for a sustained run. 3. CHARGERS (5-10)
COACH: Anthony Lynn (fourth season, 26-21) PROS: A new coach likely would get to start in tandem with a top-10 draft pick quarterback as a replacement for Philip Rivers. The Chargers were preseason Super Bowl contenders, but were ravaged by injuries and lost nine games by seven points or fewer. It’s not necessarily a big rebuilding process.
CONS: The Chargers’ ill-conceived move from San Diego to Los Angeles created a limited fan base. They will play second fiddle to the Rams in a shared stadium opening next year (ask the Jets about this). Kicking Rivers to the curb is a potential publicity disaster. 4. FALCONS (6-9)
COACH: Dan Quinn (fifth season, 42-37) PROS: The Falcons are 5-2 in their past seven games, suggesting this is not a rotten locker room. Matt Ryan, 34, isn’t a MVP candidate anymore, but he still has prime years left. Owner Arthur Blank is hungry to win, still stinging from blowing huge leads in losses in an NFC title game (in 2013) and Super Bowl LI.
CONS: If you are getting Ryan’s twilight years, will you also get to coach his replacement? Or will you be gone so the next coach can? The offensive and defensive lines need help, which means spending big. And the Falcons are at the bottom of the NFL in projected cap space. 5. GIANTS (4-11)
COACH: Pat Shurmur (second season, 9-22) PROS: Jones has four more years of team control, including three as a bargain. Saquon Barkley looks dominant again. So, draft picks and free-agent money ($70 million in cap space) can be spent elsewhere to build a winner in that window. Co-owner John Mara is one of the most influential people in the NFL.
CONS: Stability used to be one of the Giants’ great advantages, but this could be two straight coaches fired before Year 3. If general manager Dave Gettleman stays, the coach-general manager cycle is out of whack. The defense is woefully undermanned. An impatient fan base hasn’t seen a playoff win since 2011. 6. PANTHERS (5-10)
COACH: Perry Fewell (0-3 after Ron Rivera was fired) PROS: Christian McCaffrey is one of the great offensive weapons in the NFL. New owner David Tepper reportedly wants to be aggressive and build a quick winner. Drew Brees can’t dominate the NFC South forever.
CONS: Injury-prone Cam Newton has an uncertain future. Use a top-10 pick on Newton’s replacement or gamble on the former MVP’s health? Longtime tight end Greg Olsen — on his way to a broadcasting job — said the Panthers have bottomed out. Ouch! 7. JAGUARS (5-10)
COACH: Doug Marrone (4th season, 21-28) PROS: The Jalen Ramsey trade netted an extra first-rounder in both the 2020 and 2021 drafts, and the Jaguars still have a rugged defense. The Tom Coughlin player-unfriendly front office reign is over.
CONS: Don’t buy a home in Jacksonville, because the threat of relocation always is on the horizon. The No. 1 decision here is whether the right choice at quarterback is Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles ($15 million guaranteed in 2020), overachieving rookie Gardner Minshew or (gulp!) neither. 8. REDSKINS (3-12)
COACH: Bill Callahan (3-7 after Jay Gruden was fired) PROS: Rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins turned a corner late, before an ankle injury. The Redskins will overpay a flashy name, so they have the ability to entice Urban Meyer or Lincoln Riley from college. They are the favorite for the No. 2 draft pick.
CONS: Upstairs. Meddlesome owner Daniel Snyder becomes friendly with players and pushes his opinions. Team president Bruce Allen’s decade on the job has been marred by bad decisions. Redskins fans chant “Sell the team!” at home games, the stadium is a dump and the team name is protested.