Giants Training Camp Preview: Coaching Staff
The NFL and NFLPA have tentatively agreed for players to report to training camp on July 28, so in the meantime, The Trentonian is examining the Giants position by position.
So far the series has featured the quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, offensive linemen, defensive linemen, linebackers, cornerbacks, safeties and special teams.
The final installment focuses on the coaching staff. Bielema (Patriots), quarterbacks coach Jerry Schuplinski (Patriots), running backs coach Burton Burns (Alabama), inside linebackers coach Kevin Sherrer (Alabama), defensive assistant Jody Wright (Alabama and Mississippi State) and assistant coach — special projects & situations Amos Jones (Mississippi State).
Garrett’s former co-workers in Dallas include offensive line coach Marc Colombo, senior offensive assistant Derek Dooley, offensive assistant Stephen Brown and defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson.
Only three coaches — Kitchens, defensive line coach Sean Spencer (most recently at Penn State) and defensive quality control coach Mike Treier (most recently at Marshall) — didn’t previously work with Judge or Garrett.
The Giants fired him a day after their 4-12 season ended. Shurmur’s lifetime record fell to 1946 — the seventh-worst win percentage all-time — in two seasons with the Giants and two with the Browns, plus one game as the Eagles’ interim coach in 2015.
The Giants had talent issues, especially on defense. But other than his role in nurturing Daniel Jones as a rookie quarterback, Shurmur looked out of his element as he struggled to manage the duties of being a head coach along with the offensive play-caller.
Too often Shurmur used his timeouts too early, had suspect play-calling during a two-minute drive or failed to scheme Saquon Barkley into good positions to make plays as a receiver.
Offensive coordinator Mike Shula ended up following Shurmur to Denver, as Shurmur is now the Broncos’ offensive coordinator and Shula is the team’s quarterbacks coach.
Defensive coordinator James Bettcher remains on the job market after two dismal seasons with the Giants. The team was extremely young in the secondary last year and lacked a premier pass-rusher, but that just made it more puzzling why the Giants didn’t blitz more, since they clearly didn’t possess the talent to sit back in coverage and generate pressure. a play sheet.
With Garrett as his veteran play-caller, Judge will be spending more time overseeing the entire roster than Shurmur and Ben McAdoo did. That should benefit him as a first-time head coach.
Obviously Judge’s background is unorthodox, although the transition has been done before. John Harbaugh went from being the Eagles’ long-time special teams coordinator to a Super Bowl-winning head coach with the Ravens.
Garrett should be a good mentor for Jones. His offense will contrast starkly from Shurmur’s in that it incorporates concepts of the famous “Air Coryell” system and attacks defenses vertically.
It’s questionable how well that will mesh with the Giants’ personnel since most of the team’s receivers are known as short route runners more so than deep threats, aside from Darius Slayton. But Garrett does have a premium receiving tight end in Evan Engram, and Barkley is even more dynamic than the Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott.
Graham, who also worked for seven seasons in New England, will likely attempt to recreate the Patriots’ defense. That will be a challenge since the Giants lack high-end coverage talent in the secondary. The team does have a bit more versatility at linebacker now.
The coaches have had to learn on the fly like the rest of the league with virtual offseason programs because of the pandemic. With less on-field time to connect with players and integrate the system, fans must exercise patience in the Judge era.