Post by GordonG on Jan 19, 2018 14:38:02 GMT -5
Reports are currently circulating that Pat Shurmur will be our next head coach. Do you truly believe he was our first choice?
I don’t know and I’m not ashamed to admit that. I mean, there were so many reports flying around the media guessing who the Giants’ first choice was and even going so far as to declare a winner. If you followed my coverage, I never got involved in that guessing game because although I was in touch with sources, unless I have multiple sources pointing me in the same direction, I’m not going to run with something based on a guess.
But I will say this. First choice or not (and really, does it matter?) I think Shurmur is the right choice and I have been saying this since I learned his name was in the hat. With the Giants getting ready to transition from Eli Manning in a year or two, given that Shurmur has made ordinary quarterbacks not named Tom Brady into viable options for their teams, that alone makes him an ideal fit for this organization moving forward in my mind.
And if that’s not enough, given how broken this offense became and how inflexible the previous architect was, how can you not love the fact that Shurmur ran as balanced an offense as you’ll find in Minnesota?
Pat, do you think any of the scuttlebutt of Engram playing more as a wide receiver and Ellison at tight end might happen? Many of the better tight end prospects are basically bigger receivers and that really showed up with a weak right tackle like Bobby Hart on the field paired with the rookie on his side as tight end.
I wouldn’t rule anything out, but without the coaching staff officially being in place, I think all that talk is a bit premature.
What are you hearing in terms of potential/rumored coordinators on Shurmur’s staff? We know he will have a new offensive coordinator, but will he keep Spags or look for someone else? I like Spags, but with all the turmoil on the defensive.
Nothing yet. Shurmur, remember, hasn’t officially been hired just yet so any talk about coordinators is premature. But I do think there is a chance Spags stays on and I for one would be in favor if he did. (I explained in detail why in the latest Big Blue Chat Podcast, “Shur We Have a Winner?”
What are your views on CTE in the context of the ongoing health of the NFL?
To be perfectly honest, I haven’t’ followed that story as much as I probably should. Now don’t get me wrong: CTE and concussions are very important topics, but in terms of reporting, that’s an enterprise topic and I’m not really an enterprise reporter.
With that said, I suffered a mild concussion years ago, a result of being rear-ended (to this day I still have issues with my neck because of it). My elderly father also suffered a concussion that seemed to expedite the onset of dementia.
It’s my hope that modern medicine finds a cure for all these ailments (and while they’re at it, cancer as well) because seeing what my dad, who back it he day was a brilliant and vibrant man, is going through, I can only imagine what it must be like living with someone who is younger and who is starting to exhibit changes in behavior and cognizant skills.
Who do you think will get cut once the new head coach is in place?
I’d be surprised if we see a lot of guys cut. I wrote something about this for Big Blue View—I’m contributing over there with a focus on salary cap related information as there is a LOT of misconception floating around out there regarding the cap and how it works.
As I write these answers, I don’t believe that article has been published yet, but for those who might want to watch for it, it’s titled, “How the New York Giants can clear additional cap space in 2018.” (I also wrote another piece about the cap you might want to have a look at titled “A very early look at the Giants 2018 salary cap.”
Anyway, the two players I think are gimmes are Brandon Marshall and Dwayne Harris. I also think there could be a couple of contracts restructured—I did a scenario involving Eli Manning in which I lowered his cap hit without giving him more money, and there’s a small chance that Rodgers-Cromartie could also be a target for a restructuring similar to how I laid out Manning’s restructure. (I also explained why others who might be popular cut targets by the fans, e.g. John Jerry, are likely to stick around.)
I don’t know and I’m not ashamed to admit that. I mean, there were so many reports flying around the media guessing who the Giants’ first choice was and even going so far as to declare a winner. If you followed my coverage, I never got involved in that guessing game because although I was in touch with sources, unless I have multiple sources pointing me in the same direction, I’m not going to run with something based on a guess.
But I will say this. First choice or not (and really, does it matter?) I think Shurmur is the right choice and I have been saying this since I learned his name was in the hat. With the Giants getting ready to transition from Eli Manning in a year or two, given that Shurmur has made ordinary quarterbacks not named Tom Brady into viable options for their teams, that alone makes him an ideal fit for this organization moving forward in my mind.
And if that’s not enough, given how broken this offense became and how inflexible the previous architect was, how can you not love the fact that Shurmur ran as balanced an offense as you’ll find in Minnesota?
Pat, do you think any of the scuttlebutt of Engram playing more as a wide receiver and Ellison at tight end might happen? Many of the better tight end prospects are basically bigger receivers and that really showed up with a weak right tackle like Bobby Hart on the field paired with the rookie on his side as tight end.
I wouldn’t rule anything out, but without the coaching staff officially being in place, I think all that talk is a bit premature.
What are you hearing in terms of potential/rumored coordinators on Shurmur’s staff? We know he will have a new offensive coordinator, but will he keep Spags or look for someone else? I like Spags, but with all the turmoil on the defensive.
Nothing yet. Shurmur, remember, hasn’t officially been hired just yet so any talk about coordinators is premature. But I do think there is a chance Spags stays on and I for one would be in favor if he did. (I explained in detail why in the latest Big Blue Chat Podcast, “Shur We Have a Winner?”
What are your views on CTE in the context of the ongoing health of the NFL?
To be perfectly honest, I haven’t’ followed that story as much as I probably should. Now don’t get me wrong: CTE and concussions are very important topics, but in terms of reporting, that’s an enterprise topic and I’m not really an enterprise reporter.
With that said, I suffered a mild concussion years ago, a result of being rear-ended (to this day I still have issues with my neck because of it). My elderly father also suffered a concussion that seemed to expedite the onset of dementia.
It’s my hope that modern medicine finds a cure for all these ailments (and while they’re at it, cancer as well) because seeing what my dad, who back it he day was a brilliant and vibrant man, is going through, I can only imagine what it must be like living with someone who is younger and who is starting to exhibit changes in behavior and cognizant skills.
Who do you think will get cut once the new head coach is in place?
I’d be surprised if we see a lot of guys cut. I wrote something about this for Big Blue View—I’m contributing over there with a focus on salary cap related information as there is a LOT of misconception floating around out there regarding the cap and how it works.
As I write these answers, I don’t believe that article has been published yet, but for those who might want to watch for it, it’s titled, “How the New York Giants can clear additional cap space in 2018.” (I also wrote another piece about the cap you might want to have a look at titled “A very early look at the Giants 2018 salary cap.”
Anyway, the two players I think are gimmes are Brandon Marshall and Dwayne Harris. I also think there could be a couple of contracts restructured—I did a scenario involving Eli Manning in which I lowered his cap hit without giving him more money, and there’s a small chance that Rodgers-Cromartie could also be a target for a restructuring similar to how I laid out Manning’s restructure. (I also explained why others who might be popular cut targets by the fans, e.g. John Jerry, are likely to stick around.)