The New York Giants and head coach Tom Coughlin have parted ways after a decade and the team now could look at Sean Payton, Ben McAdoo or Steve Spagnuolo as potential replacements. The Giants have a top 10 pick in the 2016 NFL draft and some names the team could consider include Shaq Lawson, Myles Jack and DeForest Buckner.
The Giants went 6-10 this season and some tough losses throughout the year led to Coughlin and the team opting to move in a new direction. John Mara spoke to the media on Tuesday and said he did not want to describe the move with Coughlin as a firing, but that the team needed a new voice to lead them. Coughlin had a great run with the Giants with two Super Bowl championships, but the team has not played up to expectations the past few years and now a new head coach will be brought in to take over.
According to ESPN.com, Mara said on Tuesday that both offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will get interviews with the team. According to Pro Football Talk, Sean Payton could be a potential target if the Saints allow Payton to look at other opportunities around the league. PFT reports that there is a chance that the Saints want to move on from Payton, but with Payton still under contract, it likely would take a draft pick for compensation to get a deal done.
McAdoo has been with the Giants for two years and has helped turn around the offense with Eli Manning putting up some of his best career numbers. Manning could end up in a new system depending on who is brought in to take over as coach, but if it's McAdoo, the offense likely will stay mostly the same. McAdoo reportedly is a candidate for the Eagles job opening and there is a chance he could stay as coordinator if the team hires Spagnuolo or someone else.
Spagnuolo is going to get an interview and while he has past experience as a head coach with the Rams, the defense for the Giants was a mess and that could be a knock for him in the process. If the Giants defense was just marginally better this past season the team could have been in much better position to make the playoffs. Mara said he would have a major hand in picking the next head coach along with general manager Jerry Reese.
The Giants have a top 10 pick in the draft this year and after going after offensive players the past two seasons with Odell Beckham and Ereck Flowers, there is a good chance that the team will look at defense this time around. Some names the team could consider include Shaq Lawson, Myles Jack and DeForest Buckner, as the Giants need to boost their pass rush. The team ranked 30th in sacks this season and while part of that was losing Jason Pierre-Paul to an injury, the Giants roster did not generate enough pressure on the QB this year.
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