jason garrett

New York Giants: Joe Judge’s Coaching Staff Is Officially Announced

by
New York Giants, Joe Judge

The New York Giants‘ new coaching staff has been officially announced this morning. After firing Pat Shurmur at the end of the 2019 season, the Giants hired new head coach Joe Judge. Judge, former New England Patriots special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach, has been building his coaching staff over the past several weeks. Today, Judge’s staff is complete and has been made official. Down Below is Joe Judge’s official coaching staff for the 2020 NFL season:

Offense:

Offensive Coordinator: Jason Garrett
Quarterbacks Coach: Jerry Schuplinski
Running Backs Coach: Burton Burns
Wide Receivers Coach: Tyke Tolbert
Offensive Line Coach: Marc Colombo
Assistant Offensive Line Coach: Ben Wilkerson
Tight Ends Coach: Freddie Kitchens
Senior Offensive Assistant: Derek Dooley
Offensive Assistant: Stephen Brown
Offensive Quality Control: Bobby Blick

Defense:

Defensive Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach: Patrick Graham
Defensive Line Coach: Sean Spencer
Outside Linebackers Coach/Senior Assistant: Bret Bielema
Inside Linebackers Coach: Kevin Sherrer
Defensive Backs Coach: Jerome Henderson
Assistant Defensive Backs Coach: Anthony Blevins
Defensive Assistant: Jody Wright
Defensive Quality Control: Mike Treier

Special Teams:

Special Teams Coordinator: Thomas McGaughey
Assistant Special Teams Coordinator: Tom Quinn

Joe Judge’s coaching staff replaced almost everyone on Pat Shurmur’s staff. The only members of Shurmur’s staff still with the Giants are wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert, special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey, and assistant special teams coordinator Tom Quinn.

Key hirings on Judge’s staff are at offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. The Giants will be implementing a system like the Dallas Cowboys’ offense from recent years under former Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett. Garrett was also able to bring over his offensive line coach from Dallas, Marc Colombo.

One thing to note is the amount of assistants Judge has put on his staff. Each side of the ball has a quality control assistant and more than one positional unit on the team has an assistant coach (such as offensive line and defensive back).

The New York Giants’ new defensive coordinator, Patrick Graham, will also serve as the team’s assistant head coach. Graham spent 2019 as defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins.

With a brand new coaching staff in place, there are reasons for real optimism heading into 2020. Judge made numerous big-name hirings and put together a staff with a multitude of head coach experience. Hopefully, this staff’s experience and impressive track record can get the Giants back on track next season.

New York Giants: How will Jason Garrett run the offense?

by
New York Giants, Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys

Adding offensive experience to the New York Giants‘ coaching staff was essential after the hiring of Joe Judge, who has limited knowledge in the category. Former head coaches Jason Garrett (offensive coordinator) and Freddie Kitchens (tight ends coach), should provide Judge with the experience necessary to re-work the offense and put the unit in the right direction.

According to ESPN, Garrett will aggressively operate the offense:

“First thing we want to be able to do is run the ball,” Judge said recently. “We’re going to run the ball. [Garrett has] done it successfully in Dallas throughout the course of his career. Jason brings with him a lot of experience in a lot of different systems. So, the one thing he’s been able to do is draw from his experience as a player and coach in different systems and really create a player-friendly system that creates multiples within game plans. And that is what I want to build as the base for this team.”

Having Saquon Barkley in the backfield will provide the Giants will ample talent to work with, and Garrett should do a good job incorporating him in the run and pass game. Expect to see a lot of early-down throws and Barkley screens, something Pat Shurmur shied away from in 2019.

“He’s probably more of a stretch guy. I think he struggles when it’s downhill,” an NFL defensive coordinator said of Barkley, per ESPN. “[He] needs gap scheme and stretch stuff. They did that a little bit in Dallas, and kind of always have done that.”

The New York Giants need to help themselves in 2020:

Shurmur tried to force inside zone schemes down Barkley’s throat last season, which ultimately hindered his efficiency. The spry running back is better utilized between the tackles and guards, as well as pitch plays around the edge. Giving him space to make a decision is where he’s lethal. When running inside, Barkley often gets jumbled in a mess and doesn’t follow his blockers well, which suggests a different scheme. Garrett should help in that way.

Also, his influence on Daniel Jones will be significant. Considering his hand in developing Dak Prescott and Tony Romo, Garrett is the perfect teacher for Jones, who’s going into his second year as a professional.

New York Giants: How much is Jason Garrett going to help Daniel Jones?

by
New York Giants, Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys

The New York Giants hired offensive coordinator Jason Garrett after he was released from the Dallas Cowboys’ head coaching position, and this move should benefit quarterback Daniel Jones significantly. Jones learned under Pat Shurmur in 2019, and while his fumbling issues were a concern, he showed incredible promise as a rookie, especially in processing coverages and ball-placement.

The New York Giants needed to ensure Daniel Jones was well taken care of:

Finding a suitable replacement as a teacher for Shurmur was always going to be difficult, but considering the job Garrett has done with Dak Prescott and formerly Tony Romo, it’s fair to say that he was the ‘best’ choice.

Former quarterback for the Cowboys, Troy Aikman, who spent 11 seasons in the NFL, leading Dallas to three Super Bowls in the 90s, spoke to Garrett’s influence and hopeful impact on Jones:

“Jason has proved to be a good coach and he keeps in perspective what it was like for him as a player, what he liked and didn’t like,” Aikman said. “And he’s got great personal skills. …I’d be surprised if he and Daniel Jones don’t hit it off right away and develop a real chemistry.”

“I think he’s going to bring some accountability, some structure,” Aikman said on Garrett. “He’s going to be very well prepared. There is not going to be any stone unturned. When they go into a gameplan every player is going to know exactly what is being asked of them. I think it’s a great situation for Jason. I thought he did a nice job when he was calling the plays as the offensive coordinator… He comes from a pretty good perspective having been around good players but also around good coaches. I think that’s probably been the biggest influence on him. And then having played. I think that helps.”

Garrett helped Prescott refine his technique and develop the grit to lead the league in offensive production last season. Jones will undoubtedly benefit from his focus on the unit and precisely the quarterback position. Factor in Jerry Schuplinki and his time teaching Tomy Brady, Jacoby Brissett, and Jimmy G, and the Giants have the perfect coaching staff around Jones.

Rounding up all of New York Giants’ Joe Judge coaching staff hirings

by
New York Giants, Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys

The New York Giants and new head coach Joe Judge are well underway in their quest to build out the coaching staff with quality options. So far, they’ve filled numerous positions and brought on plenty of experience to help Judge adapt to being a head coach in the NFL.

Here are all of New York Giants’ Joe Judge’s hirings:

1.) OC Jason Garrett

“Jason is a football guy. He wants to go coach. He’s a great offensive mind. They got a good one in coach Garrett,” Jones said Tuesday from the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, via The Athletic’s Jon Machota. “He was nothing but a class act here. I know he’ll certainly help the Giants get on the road to where they want to go.”

Garrett compiled an 85-67 record while with the Cowboys, including an underwhelming 8-8 campaign this past season with the No. 1 ranked offense in football. However, his experience and knowledge at the quarterback position will be integral to Daniel Jones’ development.

Expect Garrett to run a similar offense as he did in Dallas, utilizing a big-bodied wide receiver and the heavy involvement of tight ends. Saquon Barkley will benefit from this system, I believe.

2.) QB Jerry Schuplinski

Schuplinski is one of the more intriguing hired by Judge, and I think it might be one of his best. Aside from working with Judge in New England, Schuplinski has coached the likes of Tom Brady, Jacoby Brissett, and Jimmy G. His experience working with elite talent and starting-caliber quarterbacks will only benefit Jones, who’s primed to take a big step forward after a promising rookie season. Jerry will have his hands full with Jones’ fumbling issue, but if he can alleviate that concern, the Giants will be in great shape.

3.) RB Burton Burns

Burns is an excellent running backs coach, and according to Baltimore star back, Mark Ingram, he’s the best coach he’s ever had. Coming from Alabama, Burns is friends with Judge and will work his magic with Barkley, who has the potential to be one of the best RBs in the history of the game.

4.) WR Tyke Tolbert

Judge retained Tolbert after coaching the Giants’ WR unit for the past two seasons. While some might feel as though the WRs underperformed, injuries consistently plagued them, hurting their efficiency, forcing Tolbert to work with reserve talent at times.

5.) TBD Freddie Kitchens

This is an interesting hire for Judge, considering Kitchens was in line for either a head coaching job or coordinator position just a few weeks ago. It seems as if Kitchens is looking to remain in the NFL, and latching on with a new regime in the Giants could prove to offer more in terms of future opportunity.

I expect Kitchens to work alongside Garrett in some form and help the offense’s productivity. Meshing the two offensive minds might work wonders for a frequently stagnant Giants offense in 2019.

6.) TBD Jody Wright

Wright is another interesting name to add to the list, and while his position isn’t finalized yet, I believe he will slot in at the tight end coach vacancy.

As per Giantswire:

Wright was a graduate assistant/coordinator of football operations at Mississippi State from 2005-09 and a graduate assistant/offensive analyst for Alabama from 2010-12. He moved on to become a passing game coordinator/tight ends coach at Jacksonville State in 2013 and then a running backs coach at UAB in 2014.

The following year, Wright returned to Alabama where he took over as the director of player personnel until 2018 when he was hired as the offensive line and assistant head coach at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

7.) DC Patrick Graham

Graham was a surprise hire for the defensive coordinator position, but he’s familiar with Judge and the Giants. The 40-year-old was the defensive line coach under Ben McAdoo and worked with Judge under Bill Belichick with the Patriots. The Yale graduate undoubtedly has the mental ability to be a fantastic DC, but 2019 production with Miami wasn’t noteworthy. While his rankings in Miami were abysmal, his unit didn’t have much talent to help show his value.

I expect the Giants to remain in the 3-4 defense in an attempt to help the development of the younger players.

8.) DB Jerome Henderson

The Giants have focused on bringing in coaches who have connections within the Giants already, and this time it’s with Jason Garrett. Henderson spent the last four seasons with the Falcons after coaching under Garrett for four seasons. He boasts a strong resume as a defensive backs coach, and his influence should be significant on a young group trying to find an identity.

9.) TBD Bret Bielema

Bielema spent the past two seasons as the Patriots’ defensive assistant, and anything defense-related for New England is a home run. The Patriots had a dominant unit this past year, and the Giants will be looking to steal some of their efficiency through their coaching staff. Having already plucked Joe Judge, Bielema will be a substantial addition. However, his role has not been clarified just yet.

10.) STC Thomas McGaughey

One of the only silver linings for the Giants this past season was their special teams unit, meaning the retention of ST coach Thomas McGaughey was an easy decision for Judge. The punt unit specifically saw a ton of action, and Riley Dixon was fantastic along with the Giants’ gunners in Michael Thomas and Cody Core. 

This unit will remain untouched aside from the wave of Judge’s wand.

BREAKING: New York Giants Hire Marc Colombo As Offensive Line Coach

by
New York Giants, Joe Judge

Joe Judge has filled another crucial role in his coaching staff. The New York Giants‘ new head coach has hired Marc Colombo to be the team’s next offensive line coach (according to Ian Rapoport). Colombo is a former Dallas Cowboys offensive line coach that worked under Jason Garrett (the Giants’ new offensive coordinator) from 2016 to 2019.

Colombo first held the position of assistant offensive line coach from 2016-2018 before being promoted as the Cowboys’ offensive line coach in 2018. Under Colombo, the Cowboys’ offensive line was one of the best units in the NFL. Dallas finished fifth in Pro Football Focus‘s pass-blocking grade and third in their run-blocking grade in 2019.

Marc Colombo’s Resumé

The Cowboys’ offensive line allowed only 23 sacks this season (second-fewest in the NFL). This improved pass-protection helped quarterback Dak Prescott achieve a career-year.

Marc Colombo is a former NFL offensive lineman himself. He played right tackle for the Dallas Cowboys from 2005-2010. Colombo is a young coach at only 41 years-old. Cowboys players have stated that Colombo’s relatability in his youth helped the offensive line grow and gravitate towards their coach.

Colombo’s connection to Jason Garrett and success with the Cowboys’ offensive line the past two seasons helped him land this job. The Giants have been plagued with poor offensive line play for years and were in desperate need of a new, top-tier coach at that position. Marc Colombo is just what the Giants need. A tough, yet relatable, coach that will mentor and develop the Giants’ offensive line. Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones should be very excited.

“I’ve had the pleasure of being around a lot of people in this game. But Marc is in the front of the class. That’s the ultimate compliment I can give him. You get inspired by Marc every day you’re around him.” – Jason Garrett on Mar Colombo via ESPN

New York Giants: Why Fans Should be Excited About Jason Garrett

by
New York Giants, Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys

New York Giants head coach Joe Judge secured a significant part of his coaching staff on Friday night when he hired offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. Garrett, the former head coach of the rival Dallas Cowboys, brings experience to a relatively young staff. The reviews of Garrett have been mixed since the hiring, but three things should excite the Big Blue faithful.

Why Giants’ Fans Should Be Excited About Jason Garrett

His NFL Experience

Before the Garrett hire,  Joe Judge was filling his staff with coaches who were a little bit more unknown. Special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham both were under-the-radar hirings. Garrett, on the other hand, is a big-name coach who brings something the other coaches do not have much of – experience at the highest level.

Before Jason Garrett was the Cowboys head coach, he was once a quarterback for several NFL teams – including the Giants in the early 2000s. When he retired in 2004, he was hired by the Miami Dolphins the following season as the quarterback’s coach. In 2007, he was hired by the Cowboys as the offensive coordinator. He was promoted to intern head coach in 2010 and was appointed as the team’s coach the following season. After being the Cowboys head coach for over nine seasons, Dallas let Garrett walk this offseason.

Throughout those nine and a half seasons, Garrett helped build the Cowboys into one of the most consistent teams. He posted a solid 85-67 regular-season record and brought Dallas to the postseason three times. He drafted a franchise QB in Dak Prescott, won three NFC East championships, and helped build one of the NFL’s most dominant offensive lines. Garrett’s experience will be invaluable to Big Blue next season.

Dallas’ successful offenses

Upon taking over as Dallas’ offensive coordinator in 2007, Garrett quickly brought the team success. In his first season calling plays, Garrett coached the Cowboys to the second-best offense in the NFL. He would go on to have multiple top-five offenses in Dallas, mainly in part to three things. Strong offensive line play, a game-changing tight end, and an elite running back.

While the Giants lack the offensive line play, they do have the other two. When healthy, Giants tight end Evan Engram has proved he can be a game-changing player. Dallas has tormented Big Blue for years with tight ends, with most of the damage coming from future Hall of Famer Jason Witten. Looking at Garrett’s track record with tight ends, it seems as though he could be the guy that maximizes Engram’s skillset.

Garrett will be able to benefit from having an elite running back as well, courtesy of Saquon Barkley. Since being drafted in 2018, Barkley has been regarded as one of the best at his position. The Cowboys have had great success over the past few years, mainly in part to their star running back, Ezekiel Elliot. If Elliot’s success is an indicator of what’s to come for Barkley, Giants fan should be ecstatic.

His knowledge of the NFC East

Over the past five seasons, the Giants have been near the bottom of the league every year besides 2016. While they have struggled across the board, their biggest challenge has been against divisional opponents. In the last 30 divisional games, Big Blue is a miserable 10-20. The Cowboys, on the other hand, have been the best against the NFC East, posting an impressive 21-9 record.

While one can make the argument that their success is primarily due to Dallas merely having more talent, it’s clear there is much more to it. Going back even further, since Garrett took over as the head coach in 2010, the Cowboys have gone 38-20 in games against the NFC East. Even in down years, the Cowboys still have found success against their rivals. It’s not a coincidence that the Cowboys have been the best team in the NFC East since 2010; it’s Jason Garrett doing what he does best.

While Garrett won’t be able to turn the Giants around in one season completely, he will be a significant upgrade from the Giants’ recent offensive coordinators.  His experience in the NFL will help Joe Judge greatly, and his success against NFC East opponents will give the Giants an edge in close games in 2020. Giants fans should be happy knowing they will have Jason Garrett on their sideline next season.

Joe Judge say Giants will be a ‘run first’ team

by
New York Giants, Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys

The New York Giants did not have an identity on either side the football under former head coach Pat Shurmur. He is now gone and Joe Judge is at the helm. He told reporters on Wednesday his offense will make no bones on what they want to do when they take the field.

“The first thing we want to be able to do is run the ball,” Judge said.

That makes sense under new offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, whose Dallas Cowboys offense threw the ball 58% of the time, but much of that was after they established the run with superstar back Ezekiel Elliott. Judge expects Garrett to use Saquon Barkley in similar fashion.

From NJ.com:

Last season, Elliott logged 301 carries while averaging 4.6 yards per attempt, while Barkley’s season was hampered by a high-ankle sprain that sidelined him for three weeks but the Giants’ running back still produced 217 carries for an identical yards per carry average and six rushing touchdowns.

 

“He’s [run the ball] successfully in Dallas throughout his career,” Judge said. “Jason brings with him a lot of experience in a lot of systems. We want to create a player-friendly system that creates multiples within gameplans.”

In 2019, the Giants threw the football on 64.23% of their offensive snaps. That is mainly because of two things. First, th absence and ineffectiveness of Barkley due to a high ankle sprain that hobbled him for nearly half the season. The other factor is the Giants rarely had a lead to work with, playing catch up most of the time, therefore having to pass the football.

For the Giants to duplicate what Garrett’s Cowboys did with the running game, they’re going to have to upgrade the performance of the offensive line. That should begin in free agency in March and the NFL Draft in April.

New York Giants: 3 offensive line talents to watch at Senior Bowl

by
New York Giants, Josh Jones, Houston

As the New York Giants and new head coach Joe Judge begin the tumultuous process of evaluating college talent in preparation for the 2020 NFL Draft, it’s important to note that the Senior Bowl is an essential factor in the process.

The Giants have heavily invested in Senior Bowl talent the past few years, and the new regime will not deter from the team’s frequent appearance. Newly hired offensive coordinator and Judge will surely be in attendance for the game, especially when it comes to several offensive linemen that could spring the ears of some.

Here are three offensive linemen the New York Giants should look out for:

1.) Trey Adams (Washington)

Adams is a fantastic run-blocker but has struggled in pass protection at times during college. His ability to get to the second level has been a positive attribute for him, thanks to a mean streak that comes alive in the midst of battle. At 6-foot-8, 318 pounds, Adams is a massive body that could be worth a good look, and if he’s available in the second round of the draft, the Giants might take a similar approach to the drafting of Will Hernandez. Adams could theoretically start right way at one of the tackle positions, but it’s best that have a reliable veteran in place just in case. Having suffered a torn ACL and severe back injury while at Washington, Adams could fall down the boards a bit, which could be a positive thing for the Giants.

2.) Prince Tega Wanogho (Auburn)

As one of the more raw prospects in the Senior Bowl, Wanagho represents a great developmental offensive lineman, fitting into zone-blocking schemes primarily. His size, at 6-foot-7, 305 pounds, makes him an exciting option in the middle rounds, and adding young offensive lineman can never hurt.

3.) Josh Jones (Houston)

At 6-foot-7, 310 pounds, Jones has ideal size for a left tackle, and after a stellar performance in 2019 with Houston, he could be a top option on teams’ draft boards.

Jones anchored the LT position despite his team’s 4-8 record last season. He played an integral part in generating great push up front for the Houston offense, but their lack of play-makers was troublesome for their production. With Nate Solder proving to be a liability at left tackle, the Giants could be in the market for a new one, and Jones could be a decent option in the early-mid rounds of the draft.

BREAKING: New York Giants to hire Freddie Kitchens

by
New York Giants, Freddie Kitchens, Cleveland Browns

The New York Giants are expected to hire former Cleveland Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens to their staff, per Matt Zenitz.

The role is not yet defined, but Kitchens and current Giants HC Joe Judge spent time together at Mississippi State. Kitchens tenure in Cleveland was short-lived after a disappointing 6-10 season.  Prior to being named the Browns head coach, Kitchens was given credit for improving the Browns offense and assisting then-rookie QB Baker Mayfield have a successful rookie season.

Prior to his time in Cleveland, Freddie Kitchens worked with the Arizona Cardinals.  He began his career in Arizona as the tight ends coach, which is the same position he held prior to joining the Cardinals with the Dallas Cowboys.  There is some speculation that this could be Freddie Kitchens’s role with the New York Giants.

The addition is another experienced presence being added to Joe Judge’s staff in New York.  Kitchens will join other experienced assistants in Jason Garrett (offensive coordinator), Patrick Graham (defensive coordinator/assistant head coach), Jerry Schuplinski (quarterbacks coach), Burton Burns (running backs coach), Thomas McGaughey (special teams coordinator), Bret Bielema (expected defensive line coach) and Jerome Henderson (defensive backs coach).

New York Giants’ new OC Jason Garrett raves over Joe Judge

by
New York Giants, Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys

Taking a step down from head coach to coordinator is never an easy decision to make, but for former HC Jason Garrett, it was an inevitable choice. New head coach of the New York Giants, Joe Judge, interviewed Garrett, a likely compromise with upper management, as the long-time HC does not know Judge well at all, but to no one’s surprise, they hit it off.

“We had a great day together,” Garrett said of his meeting with Judge. “I didn’t know Joe real well; been around him on a couple different occasions and had really good conversations with him, really good football conversations. He and I know a lot of the same people. I worked for Coach (Nick) Saban, he worked for Coach Saban. Coach has always said such great things about Joe, and so many other people that he’s been around that I’ve been around say the same thing. What he’s like as a person, what he’s like as a football coach.

“We visited over the phone this past weekend and had a great talk. It was probably one of those talks, I don’t how long it was; a half hour, 45 minutes. It probably could have gone all night. Just talking back and forth, getting to know each other a little bit more, talking about football. And that’s when we decided it would be a good idea to come up, spend the day together, and that’s what we did on Wednesday. Had a great visit with him, a couple members of the staff, other people in the organization and it just felt right to me. Felt really comfortable to be around him. I think we have shared values as people and shared values as football coaches and what we want to build with the Giants.”

The familiarity of knowing Saban should be helpful in their chemistry on the sidelines, let alone their mentality towards the game of football. Aside from Garrett, Judge has pieced together his coaching staff, stacked full of tough, hard-nosed coaches who will bring the best out of players.

The New York Giants are getting more than just a coach in Jason Garrett:

Garrett offers a bit more, though, considering his time developing players like Tony Romo and Dak Prescott. His knowledge and experience will be essential to the growth of Daniel Jones. Garrett will also be a shoulder to lean on for Judge, who is a first-year head coach.

The former Dallas HC mentioned that while they weren’t looking for a quarterback int he first round, they did their due diligence on Jones and loved what he had to offer. His influence on Jones will be significant.