One of the priorities for the New York Giants this off-season was to bring in an offensive-minded head coach. That is a primary reason they elected to hire Brian Daboll as the team’s next HC, but retaining a bit of consistency on the defensive side could be a benefit.
With several high-profile defensive coordinators on the market, including Vic Fangio and Wink Martindale, reports have indicated that the Giants are hoping to retain Patrick Graham as their coordinator on the defensive side.
#Giants are expected to retain Patrick Graham as DC per source
— Bobby Thompson (@BThomps81) January 31, 2022
Daboll is hard at work trying to assemble his coaching staff, insisting that he is looking for a unit that emphasizes teaching and collaboration.
“My immediate goal is to assemble a coaching staff — a strong staff that emphasizes teaching and collaboration and making sure our players are put in the position to be their best and, ultimately, to win games,’’ Daboll said. “That’s why all of us do this. To teach, to be successful, to develop talent, and to win.’’
However, Graham represents a familiar face within the Giants’ organization, enjoying success over the past two years, despite a drop off last year mainly due to a lackluster offense.
The defense ranked 23rd in points allowed per game with 24.5, but being put in poor field positions and staying on the field for the majority of the game due to a lack of offensive possession put the defense between a rock and a hard place.
If we look back to the 2020 regular season, the Giants were a top 10 team in points allowed per game, also featuring one of the league’s best run defenses. With a more proficient general manager in Joe Schoen, who has a better track history in the NFL draft, Graham can expect an injection of talent and a more competent offense under Daboll.
Another worthwhile point to make is that both Daboll and Graham worked with the New England coaching staff from 2013 to 2015. While they worked on opposite sides of the ball, they have a mutual respect that provides optimism Graham will be retained.
However, I fully expect Brian to do his due diligence on potential defensive coordinators from other clubs. With names like Fangio and Martindale on the open market, there’s no doubt considering them should be a priority. The familiarity and continuity that Graham would bring opens up time for Daboll to invest more in his offense, which is currently the Giants’ biggest priority.