Part of the dysfunction of the New York Giants the last few years has been the coaching staff failing to develop players. Newly hired head coach Brian Daboll needs to put together a group of established leaders around him to help develop the talent general manager Joe Schoen brings in. There are a few veteran coaches the team should attempt to pry from free agency or other teams. These New York Giants coaching staff candidates could help Daboll build the program the Giants have lacked for many years.
New York Giants Coaching Staff Candidates
Ken Dorsey
Quarterbacks Coach, Buffalo Bills (2019-present)
Per reports, Ken Dorsey is in the middle of a tug-of-war between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Giants. He would hold the same role with either team; however, he may not call plays with the Giants, as Daboll may follow the footsteps of Sean McVay and other offensive-minded head coaches. Calling plays is one thing and worrying about the offense is another. Daboll is a head coach and cannot solely focus on one side of the ball. Why not bring over a successful teacher and a friend?
Dorsey is a former quarterback, himself, and while Daboll spent time in the play-calling booth in Buffalo, Dorsey coached Josh Allen and the other quarterbacks on the sideline.
A positive of Daboll manning the helm would be a lack of concern about rookie play-calling issues with Dorsey. This is especially true in a year where the staff needs to get career bests out of Daniel Jones. These concerns showed themselves in New York last year, as Mike LaFleur experienced play-calling roadblocks as a rookie offensive coordinator working with Zach Wilson for the first few games of 2021. The offense, however, did progress down the stretch for Wilson and the New York Jets.
The more attractive option for Dorsey, in terms of a promotion, is to call plays for Josh Allen with the Buffalo Bills. Despite the attractiveness of the job upstate, the Giants should throw the bag at Dorsey, so some continuity is kept while Daboll attempts to bring over his offensive system.
Mike Munchak
Offensive Line Coach, Denver Broncos (2019-present)
Mike Munchak is easily one of the best offensive line coaches in the NFL. Before leaving for Vic Fangio’s Denver Broncos staff in 2019, he coached the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line from 2014 until 2018. One of his bigger accomplishments was turning then-defensive lineman Alejandro Villanueva into a Pro-Bowl caliber left tackle. He also coached fellow Pro Bowlers Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro with the Steelers. Besides being a great offensive line coach, Munchak received nine Pro Bowl nominations as a player with the Houston Oilers.
The Giants need a mentor who will stay for more than one season. Hal Hunter stayed for two seasons, Joe Judge fired Marc Colombo mid-season in 2020, Dave DeGuglielmo left after negotiations failed, and Rob Sale spent one year with the unit. Sale announced his departure for the University of Florida at the end of the 2021 season. As a result of fluctuating offensive line coaches and a lack of development, Andrew Thomas remains the only long-term piece in the trenches. Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley are victims of the failure to properly address the offensive line. Besides talent, that includes coaching.
The New York Giants are bound to spend capital on young offensive line talent through the 2022 NFL Draft. Munchak’s resumé is loaded, so there is no reason the Giants should not throw the bag at him. His arrival would improve the Giants offensive coaching staff immensely.
Don Martindale
Defensive Coordinator, Baltimore Ravens (2018-2021)
Before a 2021 plunge, many teams looked at Wink Martindale as a future head coach. Martindale coached top-ten defenses with the Ravens in 2019 and 2020. During his four-season tenure, his side of the ball featured multiple Pro Bowlers like Marlon Humphrey, Matthew Judon, Earl Thomas, Marcus Peters, Calais Campbell, Brandon Williams, C.J. Mosley, and Eric Weddle.
He is notably aggressive when it comes to blitzing the quarterback, ranking in the top ten in all of his four seasons. The Giants already have a good defensive backfield with James Bradberry, Adoree Jackson, Xavier McKinney, Aaron Robinson, and other young talents. However, getting to the quarterback has been the Achilles heel of the New York Giants defense the last few seasons.
Martindale worked well when facing adversity, maximizing unproven talent during his time in Baltimore. If the Giants add an edge rusher on the opposite side of Azeez Ojulari and a linebacker in the 2022 NFL Draft or free agency, Martindale’s defense may outperform Patrick Graham’s unit in coming years.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
