Tag: Jerome Henderson

Giants attend Penn State, Memphis pro days

The New York Giants were in attendance at both the Penn State and Memphis pro days on Thursday.

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Penn State held their pro day on Thursday. As usual, the college football powerhouse drew interest from most NFL teams. New York Giants defensive back coach Jerome Henderson was in attendance.

Jaquan Brisker was certainly at the top the list of attractions. He is one of the highest-rated safeties in this draft class and the Giants are looking for a new partner for Xavier McKinney and Julian Love after releasing veteran Logan Ryan and shying away from re-signing the injured Jabrill Peppers.

Mike Kaye of Pro Football Network wrote this about Brisker’s performance on Thursday:

Brisker is listed at 6-foot-1 and 206 pounds, looked fast and fluid in front of two NFC East coordinators (Dallas’ Dan Quinn and Jonathan Gannon of Philadelphia) on Thursday.

As Quinn and Gannon watched drills, Brisker showed off his unique blend of size, speed, and ball skills. He caught everything thrown his way and showed smooth change-of-direction ability in position drills.

Brisker said teams have asked him about playing all six defensive back positions, and his fluidity at the pro day should give those teams reason to believe he can.

PFN has Brisker ranked 56th overall on their board and project him to be a second round pick. The Giants have the 36th overall selection in the draft.

Other players who impressed were wide receiver Jahan Dotson and linebacker Brandon Smith. Cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields could also be on the Giants’ radar, as could offensive tackle Rasheed Walker, who once again did not work out.

Other players of interest were linebacker Jesse Luketa and edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie. The Giants aren’t likely to use any of their first round picks on the players Henderson scouted today, but Day 2 is a different story.

Meanwhile, in addition to Penn State, the Giants also had scouts at the Memphis pro day, where they rubbed elbows with Joe Judge.

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The latest on Giants’ search for a new defensive coordinator

The latest on the Giants’ search for a new defensive coordinator.

The New York Giants were left at the altar by defensive coordinator Patrick Graham on Friday when he jumped ship to assume the same role with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Graham has a relationship with both newly hired head coaches — Josh McDaniels of the Raiders and Brian Daboll of the Giants — from their days in New England as part of Bill Belichick’s staff.

Graham was serving as the assistant head coach here with the Giants under Joe Judge as well as the DC but may not have been offered that title here under Daboll. It is unclear yet if the Raiders have given Graham that title.

The Giants were busy trying to replace Graham with a flurry of interviews on Saturday with some established coordinators around the NFL.

Schwartz has been a defensive coordinator or head coach for various clubs since 2001.

He was the Tennessee Titans’ defensive coordinator from 2001-08, and the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator from 2016-20, where he earned a Super Bowl ring.

Schwartz has also been the defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills (2014), and served as the head coach of the Detroit Lions from 2009-13.

Martindale has been coaching NFL defenses since 2004 and has served as the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens for the past four seasons. He also has a Super Bowl ring to his credit.

Austin also has a long, distinguished resume that includes both college and NFL experience. Austin has been a defensive coordinator since 2014 with the Lions, Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers. Austin earned a Super Bowl ring as part of the Ravens’ staff in SB XLVII.

Desai has only one year of coordinator experience — last season with the Chicago Bears. He would appear to be the long shot among the group.

Henderson is currently the Giants’ defensive backs coach but has served as the defensive passing game coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons and has coached defensive backs for the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets going back to 2007.

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Report: Giants will retain assistants Jerome Henderson and Mike Treier

The New York Giants are expected to retain defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson and assistant defensive backs coach Mike Treier.

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As the New York Giants hustle to fill out their coaching staff under new head coach Brian Daboll on the offensive side of the football, the defensive staff is beginning to take shape as well.

The hiring process had slowed until the Giants knew the fate of coordinator Patrick Graham, who was a finalist for the Minnesota Vikings’ head coaching position.

On Wednesday evening, the Vikings informed Graham he was no longer being considered for the job, paving the way for his return to the Giants. And with him likely back in East Rutherford, a few assistants will also remain, reports Dan Duggan of The Athletic.

Veteran defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson will be retained, according to a source. Expect assistant defensive backs coach Mike Treier to return as well since he has a close relationship with Graham.

Assuming Graham does return — and there’s no reason to believe he won’t — you can expect the remainder of the staff to be rounded out quickly. Graham was also the assistant head coach under Joe Judge. There is no indication that he would be stripped of that title should be return.

In 2020, Graham’s unit was ranked 13th overall in the NFL in total defense. They fell to 21st last season under more trying conditions, including season-ending injuries to captains Blake Martinez and Jabrill Peppers, and an inept offense that left the defense on the field nearly 33 minutes per game.

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Giants’ Jerome Henderson questions effort on Cooper Kupp touchdown

Giants assistant Jerome Henderson appeared to question the effort of his players on a Cooper Kupp touchdown in Week 6, but they dismissed it.

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With under 12 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter of a Week 6 game, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp ran by New York Giants defenders and into the end zone.

The play came roughly an hour after Giants head coach Joe Judge had challenged his team, who were trailing by 25 points at the time, to give a full effort.

It was obvious, however, that the effort was still lacking. At least on that particular play as safety Logan Ryan took a bad angle and defensive backs Xavier McKinney and James Bradberry were seen merely jogging in the direction of Kupp.

“I was making my way over there,” Bradberry told reporters on Thursday. “I was on the left side of the field, he crossed over, ran a flat route, caught it and ran it into the end zone. We gave it full effort the whole game, not just the fourth quarter.”

Defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson didn’t see it that way and admits he has an “obvious” problem with the effort given in that moment.

“I don’t know if they coulda gotten there,” Henderson said, via the New York Daily News. “I don’t know, but we’ll never know. That’s the problem: We’ll never know. I’d like to know.”

Ryan, one of the team’s defensive captains, didn’t want to hear about an allegedly lack of effort from analysts or former players.

“I don’t think guys were jogging. I think he caught the ball and he scored the ball,” Ryan said. “If it’s my effort or JB’s effort, a question there, I think that I play hard every play and that play I think I played as hard as I could until the end of the play. I understand that’s their right to analyze and critique, and I’ll take it. I’m going to go out there and play as hard as I can every play. I think I made a living on that and I’ll continue to do that.”

Ryan also attempted to downplay Henderson’s frustrations.

“I think he’s just saying it’s in the past and we don’t know, and we can’t harp on it now. I think we’ve got to go out there and play hard this week,” he added.

Even if Ryan doesn’t want to blame  Kupp’s touchdown on a lack of effort, it’s clear he and Henderson are on very different pages — a problem that has plagued the team at multiple positions all year long.

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Giants’ Chris Pettit got firsthand look at Azeez Ojulari at Georgia Pro Day

The New York Giants aren’t attending many pro days, but they sent some personnel to scout Azeez Ojulari down in Georgia this week.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on things such as travel and face-to-face communication, the New York Giants have chosen to be very selective about which college pro days they attend.

“Because of the travel around the country right now and then also some of the restrictions at the campus, we’re going to be selective about where we send coaches as far as being out to work guys out because, again, you’re more going there as an observer than you are to actually work out the players. It’s definitely different than in the past,” head coach Joe Judge said earlier this month.

“Will there be people out there? There will. Is it going to be as much traveling as in the past or as much interaction? No, it won’t.”

That ultimately means the Giants will be extremely selective when it comes to attending pro days in person, which is why Chris Pettit, the Giants’ director of college scouting, and secondary coach Jerome Henderson showing up in Georgia is so significant.

The Giants remain in need of an edge rusher and it’s beginning to look more and more like they’ll take one in the draft. Azeez Ojulari is an obvious target and the Giants wanted to put eyes on him in person.

This is what our friends at Draft Wire had to say about Ojulari:

One of the most exciting pass rushers in this year’s class, Ojulari’s impressive 2020 campaign turned him into a potential top-20 pick. He has the explosion, speed and bend to become one of the most feared quarterback hunters at the next level.

In addition to Ojulari, Henderson also spent some time working with Georgia cornerbacks Tyson Campbell and Eric Stokes, each of whom are projected second round picks.

New York also got an up close and personal look at 6-foot-6, 335-pound guard Ben Cleveland, who could be a mid-round target.

The Giants — and general manager Dave Gettleman in particular — are no strangers to drafting players out of Georgia. In recent years, New York has taken cornerback DeAndre Baker, linebacker Tae Crowder, edge rusher Lorenzo Carter and, of course, left tackle Andrew Thomas.

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Giants vs. Browns: A revenge game for many

A Week 15 matchup between the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns will be a revenge game for many — probably more than you realize.

The New York Giants will be entertaining some old friends when the Cleveland Browns come to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey this Sunday night.

Additionally, the Browns are going to see some familiar faces on the other side of the ball as well.

In fact, there are quite a few cross-connections here in Week 15.

Giants’ Jerome Henderson on Jarren Williams: ‘We may have something here’

New York Giants defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson believes the team may have something special in rookie CB Jarren Williams.

New York Giants defensive back Jarren Williams has only been with the team since August 3, but he’s making quite an impression on the coaching staff.

All Williams, an undrafted free agent out of Albany by way of St. Francis College in Pennsylvania, has done is come in and compete for a spot on the roster at the wide open cornerback position.

“Daily improvement, that’s the biggest thing,” head coach Joe Judge said about Williams on Monday when asked what he’s seeing. “He’s a guy who takes coaching points from the classroom to the field. He’s very receptive, he plays with a good demeanor. He’s got a good body frame on him. He’s almost built a little bit more like a safety at times than a corner. He factors into different positions in the kicking game for you.

“I like the way he comes out every day. Jerome (Henderson) gets on him pretty hard. He responds the right way and he’s shown improvement.”

Henderson added to the praise of Williams on Wednesday.

Henderson, like most of us, knew little about Williams when the Giants picked him up off the waiver wire after he was released by the Arizona Cardinals. Now, he’s seen enough of the 5-foot-10, 190 pounder to give some perspective.

“We may have something here,” Henderson told reporters on Wednesday.

The Giants could use Williams anywhere on the field. He has safety size and the speed to play corner.

With the Giants getting sideswiped by DeAndre Baker’s legal problems and Sam Beal’s decision to sit the season out due to coronavirus concerns, the football Gods were due to send them a bone in their secondary. Could Williams be it?

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Report: Giants adding Bret Bielema, Jerome Henderson to coaching staff

The New York Giants are expected to add Bret Bielema and Jerome Henderson to their coaching staff.

The New York Giants are reportedly bringing in New England Patriots defensive line coach Bret Bielema to join Joe Judge’s coaching staff.

Bielema, the former head coach at Arkansas and Wisconsin before that, joined Bill Belichick’s staff in 2018 as a consultant to the head coach. He was elevated to defensive line coach last season.

Bielema is another familiar face Judge has chosen to surround himself with. It is not known what position Bielema will be assigned, but he has been a defensive coach his entire career which began as a graduate assistant at Iowa in 1994.

Judge has already hired several former Patriots assistants in defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and quarterbacks coach Jerry Schuplinski.

In addition, the Giants are expected to hire former Atlanta Falcons assistant Jerome Henderson as their defensive backs coach.

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Giants eyeing Falcons’ Jerome Henderson for DB coach?

Could the New York Giants be eyeing Jerome Henderson of the Atlanta Falcons as their next defensive backs coach?

New York Giants head coach Joe Judge is filling out his staff this week and one name has popped up as a possible candidate for defensive backs coach — Jerome Henderson.

Henderson, 50, has been the Atlanta Falcons’ passing game coordinator since 2016. Before that he was with the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns and New York Jets going back to 2006 when he was the Jets’ director of player development.

As a player, Henderson was cornerback and was a second-round pick out Clemson by the New England Patriots in 1991. He played eight seasons in the NFL with the Patriots, Bills, Eagles and Jets.

Henderson played in three Super Bowls, two with Buffalo and one with New England, all losing efforts. He also coached in another — Super Bowl LI — the one where the Falcons collapsed and lost in overtime to the Pats.

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