Tag: Patrick Graham

Giants will retain Kevin Abrams, Ed Triggs

New York Giants GM Joe Schoen says the team will retain assistant GM Kevin Abrams and director of football operations Ed Triggs.

The New York Giants may have a new general manager and a new head coach, but it’s beginning to look like little else will change.

Following Brian Daboll’s introductory press conference on Monday, GM Joe Schoen also briefly met with reporters. And during that time, revealed the Giants will retain assistant general manager Kevin Abrams and director of football operations Ed Triggs.

In addition to assistant GM, Abrams also holds the title of vice president of football operations. It’s unclear if he’ll surrender each or both of those titles, but his actual role with the organization is unlikely to change.

Eventually, Schoen will bring in some executives he’s familiar with to pair with some holdovers, but that means more of a restructure than a full rebuild. Abrams and Triggs are well-respected in the organization and around the league.

In addition to Abrams and Triggs, the Giants also intend to retain defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, assuming he is not hired as the next Minnesota Vikings head coach.

As many things change, so many stay the same.

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Giants expected to keep Patrick Graham as defensive coordinator

The New York Giants are planning to retain defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who has generated interest around the league.

New York Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has once again generated interest around the league. He’s been approached as both a DC candidate as well as a head coaching candidate for the second consecutive season.

Despite that interest however, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Graham is likely to remain with the Giants in 2022 and potentially beyond. Unless, of course, he lands a head coaching job that fits his liking.

Newly hired Giants head coach Brian Daboll is familiar with Graham, having worked alongside him with the New England Patriots from 2013 through 2015. They also travel in very similar circles.

For Graham, returning makes sense. He’s well-respected in the locker room and throughout the organization, and maintains that coaching the Giants defense is his “dream job.”

“To me, the Giants, this is my dream job to be here as the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants. So I’m just happy to be here,” Graham told reporters in June.

“Goes back to my days at Notre Dame with [Giants co-director of player personnel] Tim McDonnell when I knew him, a lot of my mentors, the people that I learned football from had connection with the New York Giants. That’s important to me.”

And now it appears Graham will get at least one more year — if not more after signing an extension last season — at his dream job.

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Report: Giants’ Patrick Graham to interview with Vikings for HC job

New York Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham will interview with the Minnesota Vikings for their head coaching job.

New York Giants assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Patrick Graham will interview for the Minnesota Vikings’ head cashing vacancy this weekend.

Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News was the first to report the news.

Graham, the Giants’ defensive coordinator the past two seasons under head coach Joe Judge, interviewed for the Giants’ open head coaching position this week. However, he is not considered a a strong candidate.

Graham also reportedly had also expressed interest staying on with the Giants as defensive coordinator.

Under Graham, the Giants finished 12th in total defense in 2020 but fell to 21st this year. Aside from his two stints with the Giants, Graham has been an assistant in New England, Green Bay and Miami.

The Vikings dismissed her coach Mike Zimmer after the 2021 season. Zimmer went 72-56-1 over eight seasons in Minnesota and 2-3 in the postseason.

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7 options for Colts to replace former DC Matt Eberflus

Here are seven options the Colts have to replace DC Matt Eberflus.

The Indianapolis Colts now have to look for a new defensive coordinator as Matt Eberflus has been hired to be the next head coach of the Chicago Bears.

Two offseasons in a row now the Colts have lost a coordinator. First, they lost Nick Sirianni to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021. Now, they will watch Eberflus take over the job at Halas Hall.

When Sirianni left, the Colts promoted from within. They opted to go with Marcus Brady, who just completed his first season as the offensive coordinator under Frank Reich.

They will have similar options to work from on the defensive side of the ball. Some have experience as a defensive coordinator in the NFL while others just recently joined the staff.

The Colts will also have their options outside of West 56th Street if they wanted a more experienced defensive coordinator. That would likely mean a shake-up with the entire defensive coaching staff and it isn’t clear if that’s a direction the Colts want to go.

Here is a look at seven options the Colts could replace Eberflus with:

Report: Patrick Graham has interest in remaining Giants’ defensive coordinator

Patrick Graham reportedly has interest in returning as New York Giants’ defensive coordinator if he does not land their head coaching job.

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The New York Giants will interview Patrick Graham for their vacant head coaching position but if that doesn’t work out, might he return as defensive coordinator?

Obviously, it’s a very fluid situation with Graham, who will also interview with the Pittsburgh Steelers for their defensive coordinator job, but the possibility exists.

Ralph Vacchiano of SNY reports that Graham has at least some level of interest in returning as Giants’ DC if he does not land a head coaching job. And, of course, assuming the next head coach wants to keep him around.

The 42-year-old Graham, who will be interviewed for the Giants head coaching vacancy, is interested in staying on as the defensive coordinator under a new head coach, according to someone familiar with his thinking. And many believe the Giants would be open to his return in the right situation.

Graham has repeatedly called coaching the Giants’ defensive his “dream job,” so it stands to reason he’d be open to returning.

“You know, any time opportunities present themselves, you’re excited. Again, has a lot less to do with me and more the guys, the players here, we played decent defense as the year went on, a lot of room to grow. To me, the Giants, this is my dream job to be here as the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants. So I’m just happy to be here,” Graham told reporters in June.

“Goes back to my days at Notre Dame with [Giants co-director of player personnel] Tim McDonnell when I knew him, a lot of my mentors, the people that I learned football from had connection with the New York Giants. That’s important to me.”

One other aspect that made coaching the Giants’ defense Graham’s “dream job” was that he got to do it alongside his close personal friend, Joe Judge. That, obviously, will change should he return.

The Giants may have fired Judge, but two of the top head candidates are Brian Daboll and Brian Flores — both of whom have worked with Graham in the past and who have relationships with him away from football.

Graham also has big supporters in East Rutherford.

According to a team source, ownership’s feelings about Graham haven’t changed, which is a big reason why he’s getting an interview for the head coaching job — the only interview he’s been offered this cycle, so far.

Several dominoes still need to fall into place in order for Graham to remain in East Rutherford, but it’s clearly something he is considering. And something ownership has already considered.

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Steelers request interview with Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham

The Pittsburgh Steelers have requested an interview with New York Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham for their DC position.

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Patrick Graham will interview with the New York Giants for their vacant head coaching role, but that’s not the only interest he’s generating around the league.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, who lost Keith Butler to retirement last week, have requested an interview with Graham for their defensive coordinator position.

The 43-year-old Graham is well-regarded and well-respected around the league. He drew head coaching interest during the 2021 hiring cycle, but rebuffed the New York Jets and other potential teams. Instead, he signed an extension to remain with the Giants.

When the Giants fired head coach Joe Judge, Graham’s status was immediately thrust into the air. The two were close personal friends and Graham opted to stay with the Giants due, in part, to Judge’s presence.

It remains possible that Graham returns to the Giants in 2022, but there will be other options out there for him. And while he has not yet received any other requests for head coaching interviews, his time will eventually come — something he’s left the door open to.

Should the Giants approve the Steelers’ request — and there’s no reason to believe they won’t — Graham will likely interview for both positions this week.

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Report: Giants will interview Patrick Graham for head coaching position

The New York Giants are expected to interview Patrick Graham for their vacant head coaching position.

When the New York Giants fired head coach Joe Judge, it stood to reason that defensive coordinator Patrick Graham would likely follow him out the door.

Not so fast.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the Giants will interview Graham for their vacant head coaching position.

Graham has become a hot name in head coaching circles over the previous two years. He turned down the New York Jets in 2021, stating that it was his “dream job” to coach Big Blue’s defense. He went on to sign an extension with the team.

However, Graham’s status with the Giants became understandably uncertain with the departure of his close personal friend, Joe Judge. And while Graham is likely a long-shot for the head coaching job, the interview shows the organization still has a profound respect for him.

Perhaps if the Giants were to hire Brian Flores as their head coach, Graham could be coaxed into remaining the defensive coordinator. Of course, that’s assuming he generates no other head coaching interest — something that would be a shame for a very deserving man.

In addition to Graham, the Giants are also expected to interview Dan Quinn, Brian Flores and Leslie Frazier. They have already completed an interview with Brian Daboll.

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NFL head coaching candidates to watch in 2022

There are a number of vacant NFL head coaching positions, with perhaps more to be available. Who are some names to watch?

Black Monday came fast and furious at the end of the 2021 NFL season, even getting a start a day early with the Denver Broncos firing head coach Vic Fangio. Some of the names fired were expected, such as Matt Nagy in Chicago and Mike Zimmer in Minnesota. There was also a surprise out of Miami, with the Dolphins parting ways with Brian Flores.

As of this moment, there are five vacancies, with perhaps more to be added. Miami, Minnesota, Chicago, Denver and Jacksonville are looking for head coaches. The Las Vegas Raiders clinched a playoff berth with their overtime win against the Los Angeles Chargers, meaning that interim head coach Rich Bisaccia gets at least one more week with the job. Then there are rumors about Houston Texans head coach David Culley.

With an eye towards filling these vacancies, here are some names to watch for the head coaching hiring cycle.

Giants’ Saquon Barkley backs Joe Judge: ‘This place is going in the right direction’

Saquon Barkley and other New York Giants players and coaches continue to offer their public support of head coach Joe Judge.

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You can’t see it and there’s no measuring stick you can compare it to but despite constant losing, the New York Giants are headed in the right direction.

Just ask head coach Joe Judge.

“I know we’ve got the right foundational pieces [here],” Judge said. “I know we have some players in key positions who are guys that you can build with and keep carrying on. All right? I know we got the right temperament. I know we got the right culture in terms of teaching the players.”

Judge said a lot more in his wild 11-minute rant last Sunday. It was cringeworthy and there was a mild expectation for revolt. But that’s not happening. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

“Coach is a passionate coach. He said things that he felt and that he believed in, and that a lot of players in the locker room believe in, too. What I took from it was the message that this place is going in the right direction,” running back Saquon Barkley said. “It may not look like it right now from the outside looking in, but internally we know what we have here, we know what we’re doing in the locker room, meaning the characters that we have, the personalities that we have, the work ethic that we have. Sometimes, it doesn’t automatically transfer to the football field, but like I said after I talked after him, I believe it’s the only way I know how to get stuff done, how to improve and how to get better is to continue to work and continue to trust the process.”

Fellow team captain, Logan Ryan, agrees.

“I would just say that Joe’s been consistent in his demeanor and his approach with us. I think as a professional, he’s treated us all well with respect in terms of players and listening to the veterans on this team and welcoming any insight that we might have,” Ryan said. “I just think he’s been a coach and a man who’s been willing to listen to his players and still requires the same week in and week out from his players. To me, he’s just been consistent since they hired him in terms of his approach with us and he’s treated us professionally. It’s been respectable, he’s been a respectful head coach in my opinion.”

Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has never swayed. He’s close personal friends with Judge and has the utmost respect for him. If not for Judge, Graham likely would have taken a head coaching position last year.

Although he’s now opened the door to that in 2022, Graham still firmly believes in Judge and the long-term future of the Giants.

“I’m here because of Joe. I trust in Joe’s vision. Again, leadership has to have vision and with vision, you can’t be worried about the stuff that tries to sidetrack you from there,” Graham said. “I just know this, I know Joe’s strong, he’s a good leader, smart dude and he’ll handle it how he needs to handle it.”

Giants players and coaches still believe in Judge. Does ownership? Will this support be enough to save his job? We’re going to find out in a few short days.

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Giants DC Patrick Graham might be open to head-coach interviews in 2022

It sounds like Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham will be open to taking head-coaching interviews in 2022.

New York Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham had a chance to interview for at least one head-coaching job last offseason but turned down the chance.

He might not do so again this offseason, though, as he appears to at least be open to look elsewhere and become an NFL head coach.

“The idea is to be a head coach one day,” Graham said, per Dan Duggan of The Athletic, who also noted that Graham sounded like he’ll be open to taking interviews this time around if given the chance.

As mentioned before, Graham turned down a chance to interview for the Jets’ head-coaching job that eventually went to Robert Saleh, who is 4-12 in his first season, the same record the Giants currently sport.

At the time, the Giants were 6-10 and coming off a 2020 season where they were ranked ninth in overall defense, thus, Graham didn’t want to leave the Giants for the Jets.

But with the Giants not looking so great these days, and with Joe Judge’s future not so clear anymore, it makes sense for him to explore his options around the league.

The Chicago Bears are expected to fire Matt Nagy, and the futures of head coaches Mike Zimmer and Vic Fangio in Minnesota and Denver, respectively, are also up in the air.

Plus, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders have interim head coaches and could be looking to interview candidates.

Even Judge himself could get the axe if Mara decides to cave to public pressure, and maybe Graham will want to interview for Judge’s job.

So, if Graham wants to make the jump to being an NFL head coach, he’ll have options this offseason.

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