New York Giants

Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles is reportedly expected to be in the mix for the vacant New York Giants' head coaching job.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, Bowles is a "name to watch" in New York after the Giants fired Joe Judge.

Getting hired by the Giants would represent a return to the Big Apple for Bowles, who was the head coach of the New York Jets for four seasons from 2015-18.

Bowles' tenure with the Jets wasn't a successful one, as he went just 24-40 and failed to take them to the playoffs.

The 58-year-old landed on his feet nine days later after getting fired by the Jets, however, joining head coach Bruce Arians with the Bucs in 2019 as defensive coordinator. The former defensive back also played for Arians at Temple. 

Bowles previously thrived as Arians' DC with the Arizona Cardinals in 2013 and '14, and the combo has worked wonders again in Tampa.

With Bowles at the controls, the Bucs defense has been dominant against the run, ranking first in the NFL in both 2019 and 2020, and third in 2021.

En route to the Buccaneers winning the Super Bowl last season, they ranked sixth in the NFL in total defense and eighth in scoring defense.

They dropped to 13th in total defense this season but stiffened when it came to allowing points, ranking fifth in the NFL

Given how he has reestablished his value as a head coaching candidate by working wonders with the Tampa Bay defense, Bowles has been a hot commodity in recent weeks.

He reportedly already interviewed with the Jacksonville Jaguars for their vacant head coaching position, and he is set to interview with the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings as well.

In addition to his previous experience as head coach of the Jets, Bowles is from Elizabeth, New Jersey, which gives him even greater ties to the area and could make the Giants job attractive to him.

Bowles would have a lot of work ahead of him since the Giants have won six or fewer games and missed the playoffs in each of the past five seasons, but few coaches are better equipped to handle the rigors of coaching in New York.

The New York Giants have requested to interview Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn for their open head coaching position, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

The 51-year-old Quinn was born in Morristown, New Jersey, and grew up in nearby Morris Township, which is a little over 30 miles from where the Giants have played since 1976 (East Rutherford).

He just completed his first year as the Cowboys' defensive coordinator. Dallas' scoring defense rose from No. 28 in 2020 to No. 7 this year.

Defensive rookie superstar in Micah Parsons helped guide that turnaround, but Quinn's presence also helped the Cowboys improve from 6-10 last year to 12-5 and NFC East champions in 2021.

Quinn's previous stops include five-plus seasons coaching the Atlanta Falcons, who won the 2016 NFC title under his watch. He also made two Super Bowls (winning one) as the Seattle Seahawks' defensive coordinator before his time in Atlanta.

Quinn is highly sought after in this coaching cycle. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that he's interviewing for the Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings' head coaching jobs.

New York is in the market for a new general manager and head coach after former GM Dave Gettleman retired and former head coach Joe Judge got fired.

The Giants' GM search is well underway, with the team having already interviewed nine candidates virtually. Quinn is the first coach that has reportedly interviewed for the Giants' open position.

From that group, Buffalo Bills assistant general manager Joe Schoen and Kansas City Chiefs Executive Director of Player Personnel Ryan Poles have had second in-person interviews in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

San Francisco 49ers assistant general manager Adam Peters is expected to have an in-person interview on Thursday, per Pelissero.

There have not been any other reported finalists for in-person conversations as of Wednesday afternoon.

The Quinn news comes one week after Giants owner John Mara told reporters at a postseason press conference that the new GM would "lead the search for a head coach," although the 67-year-old added that the GM's pick would be subject to final approval by ownership."

"I just felt like given where we are right now, on the verge of bringing in a new general manager, we have to give that person the flexibility to bring in the head coach that he wants," Mara said.

The Giants' request to speak with Quinn would seem to run counter to that notion, but perhaps all of the finalists are on board with at least speaking with him. The Giants may also want to act quickly since he's already landed interviews with four other teams.

Regardless, the Giants can only hope their new organizational leaders will guide them into a brighter future after they missed the playoffs in nine of the past 10 years, capped by a 4-13 mark this season.

If the New York Giants hire Buffalo Bills assistant general manager Joe Schoen to serve as their GM, Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll may not be far behind.

According to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY, "Daboll is indeed 'very high' on Schoen's list of prospective head coaches" and Daboll "would be expected to get an interview if he was still available" and "might even be the favorite to become the Giants' next coach under Schoen."

But according to that report, Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores would also likely be candidates. 

On Tuesday, the Giants announced that they had interviewed Schoen a second time for the general manager position, making him the first candidate to meet with the team for a second time, though he's unlikely to be the only finalist for the job. 

#Chiefs executive director of player personnel Ryan Poles is expected to have a second interview for the #Giants GM job, per sources.

So, that makes two finalists in New York: #Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen and Poles, who also was a finalist in Carolina a year ago.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 18, 2022

As for Daboll, the 46-year-old has an impressive resume. He started his NFL career in 2000 with the New England Patriots as a defensive assistant before serving as the team's wide receivers coach between the 2002 and '06 seasons. 

He then spent two years as the New York Jets quarterbacks coach (2007-08) before serving as the offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns (2009-10), Miami Dolphins (2011) and Kansas City Chiefs (2012). 

After four more years in New England as an assistant coach (2013) and tight ends coach (2014-16) and a year with the Alabama Crimson Tide as their offensive coordinator (2017), he took over the offensive coordinator role for the Buffalo Bills (2018-present). 

His time in Buffalo working with superstar quarterback Josh Allen has been impressive. The team has finished top-10 in yardage differential three times and top-10 in points differential three times, and it has been top-five in offensive yards and points in each of the last two years. In the process, the Bills have reached the postseason three years in a row, and Daboll has emerged as a serious head coaching candidate. 

He's already interviewed with the Dolphins and Chicago Bears. 

The Giants, meanwhile, have been a mess for quite some time. They last made the playoffs in 2016 and haven't won more than six games in a season since. There are major questions about whether Daniel Jones is the quarterback of the future and in general with a roster that produced just four wins this last season. 

Rebuilding the Giants will be no small task. Schoen and Daboll, at least for the time being, appear to be strong potential choices for the job. 

Buffalo Bills assistant general manager Joe Schoen reportedly had his second interview with the New York Giants for their vacant general manager position Tuesday and is considered the favorite to land the job.

Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv reported Schoen has emerged among the nine candidates who initially interviewed for the position remotely. Tuesday's meeting is set to take place in person. 

Schoen has been with the Bills since 2017 after reuniting with general manager Brandon Beane, whom he began his career with in Carolina. He's been Beane's second in command presiding over a franchise turnaround that has seen Buffalo make the playoffs for the fourth time in five years. 

The Giants are looking to replace general manager Dave Gettleman and coach Joe Judge. Ironically, Beane worked under Gettleman when he was the Panthers general manager from 2013 to 2017.

If Schoen winds up joining the Giants, Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll is a strong candidate to take the head coaching job. Daboll has been considered one of the top offensive assistants in football over the last two seasons, thanks in large part to his role in quarterback Josh Allen's development.

The Giants will enter 2022 in a make-or-break year for quarterback Daniel Jones, who has struggled in three seasons as a starter and finished the year on the IL with a neck injury. Daboll is the type of coach who could scheme to Jones' skill set, allowing the franchise to find out whether he's a viable long-term option. 

Hall of Famer Peyton Manning trolled former New York Giants head coach Joe Judge during the Manningcast of Monday's NFC Wild Card Round matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals. 

After Rams head coach Sean McVay called for a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-goal from the goal line in the second quarter, Manning shaded Judge's decision to run a QB sneak on third-and-9 from his team’s own five-yard line in New York's regular-season finale against the Washington Football Team.

"At least the Rams are sneaking it down by the goal line, unlike the Giants who sneak it in the open field." - Peyton

"No comment" from @EliManning 😂 @OmahaProd pic.twitter.com/J2VMLNxQXM

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 18, 2022

In addition to Manning, Green Bay Packers quarterback and reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers also ripped Judge's decision to run a QB sneak while speaking with Pat McAfee. 

"You play to win the game.. nobody wants to be part of kneeling the shit out to take a tie. You know what would make me lose my mind almost as much as that.. goal line personnel & a QB sneak on 3rd & 9 on the -5" 😂😂 ~@AaronRodgers12#PatMcAfeeShowLIVE pic.twitter.com/dGsHzySZ2X

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 11, 2022

Judge's play call was especially odd because, at the time, Washington was only leading 3-0 in the second quarter. Since then, Judge has been fired by the Giants.

While the New York Giants are looking to hire a general manager before they fill their head coach opening, the organization reportedly already has some names in mind for who will be walking the sideline next season.

Ralph Vacchiano of SNY reports that the Giants are interested in former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores and Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. Vacchiano stated that both of them are on the short lists of "several" of New York's GM candidates, so they will likely be interviewed by the team no matter who is hired as the next GM.

According to Vacchiano, the Giants "seem to be on track" to decide on a new general manager out of their nine candidates by the end of this week. He noted that the team will complete its first round of interviews Monday and then hold in-person follow-ups with its finalists by midweek. If the Giants are able to make a decision by Friday, they will immediately pivot to their search for a new head coach.

It's possible that the Giants will miss out on Flores and Daboll if they wait too long, as they are two of the most popular names on the market right now. Daboll had scheduled interviews with the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears on Sunday. Flores already spoke with the Bears and the Houston Texans.

A native of Brooklyn, Flores reportedly has some interest in the Giants opening. But Vacchiano pointed out that he might be hesitant to join an organization that has fired three straight coaches after two years or less in the position. Giants co-owner John Mara has "great respect" for Flores, a source told Vacchiano.

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Giants are expected to request an interview with Flores "soon."

Former New York head coach Joe Judge reportedly hoped to bring in Daboll as his offensive coordinator when he was hired two years ago, but the Bills denied the Giants' interview request for Daboll. Judge instead hired Jason Garrett, who was fired earlier this season.

New York finished 4-13 this season. Judge was fired after leading the team to a 10-23 record in two years. The Giants' next general manager and head coach will have an immediate opportunity to turn the franchise around, as they have the No. 5 and No. 7 picks in the upcoming NFL draft.

It appears former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores is hoping to stay on the East Coast for his next coaching gig. 

Flores would reportedly prioritize the New York Giants head coaching position "at or near the top of his list," per NFL insider Jordan Schultz. Giants owner John Mara also reportedly “respects and likes Flores,” Schultz adds. 

Flores, a Brooklyn native, would replace Joe Judge if he were to head to New York. The Giants fired Judge on Tuesday after two seasons. He compiled a 10-23 record. 

Flores, meanwhile, was fired by the Dolphins on Monday after three seasons. It was somewhat of a surprise after he had led the team to two straight winning seasons for the first time since the 2002 and 2003 seasons.

The 40-year-old went 24-25 in Miami, and everything appeared to be going smoothly, but things reportedly weren't what they seemed. Before he was fired, Flores reportedly wanted more authority over general manager Chris Grier, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, and wanted more people to report to him.

In addition, Jackson reported some players thought Flores was arrogant, had a "bristling personality" and was hard to approach. Michael Lombardi later reported on the GM Shuffle podcast that there was a rift between Flores and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Flores reportedly made it known to Tagovailoa that he would have preferred New England Patriots rookie Mac Jones as his QB. 

However, it's important to note that Lombardi has since walked back on those comments via social media.

I misspoke on the pod--and those were my words for Flores, not his. https://t.co/DgQ2JuHwpD

— Michael Lombardi (@mlombardiuncgm) January 13, 2022

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport also reported there was built-up frustration between Flores and Grier, and team owner Stephen Ross decided to side with his general manager, parting with the head coach instead. 

In addition to the Giants, Flores has also been linked to the Houston Texans and is expected to generate plenty of interest around the league. The Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, Las Vegas Raiders and Chicago Bears are also looking for a head coach. 

The Giants will not hire a new head coach until they have filled their vacant general manager position, Mara said in a statement earlier this week. The new GM will lead the team's head coaching search.  

One day after Joe Judge was relieved of his duties as head coach, New York Giants CEO John Mara didn't mince words about how bad things got during the 2021 season. 

Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Mara had an honest response when asked if this was as bad as things have gotten during his tenure with the Giants. 

"Honestly, I would have to say yes," he said. "I kept thinking during the season we had hit rock-bottom—and each week, it got worse."

While there were few highlights from Judge's tenure, he provided multiple new low points over the past two weeks. 

Speaking to reporters after New York's 29-3 loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 17, Judge went on an almost 12-minute rant during his postgame press conference in which he claimed the New England Patriots coaching staff that he was part of thought it would get fired midway through the 2018 season before the team won a Super Bowl; said he talks to former Giants players about "how much they wish they were still here and they’re getting paid more somewhere else"; and how current Giants players set to become free agents are "in my office every day begging to come back."

In the second quarter of New York's 22-7 loss to the Washington Football Team in the season finale, Judge called back-to-back quarterback sneaks on second and third down from inside the Giants' own 5-yard line. 

Judge told reporters after the game those plays were called in order to give the punter more room so that the team "played the field-position situation I wanted to play."

The Giants went 10-23 during Judge's two seasons as head coach. Their 13 losses in 2021 tied a franchise record for most in a single season (3-13 in 2017).   

New York's offense ranked 31st in scoring average (15.2 points per game) and passing (188.0 yards per game) this season.     

The New York Giants announced Tuesday that they have parted ways with head coach Joe Judge after two seasons.

A franchise once marked by coaching stability has now been branded with turmoil. The Giants will now have hired four head coaches in six years (2017-2022), or two more than they had from 1997 to 2015, when Jim Fassel (1997-2003) and Tom Coughlin (2004-2015) ran the show.

Following general manager Dave Gettleman's retirement, the onus is on co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch to rebuild this team and get the next coaching hire right.

A frustrated fanbase hasn't seen a playoff win in 10 years, and the Giants have now missed out on the postseason in nine of those campaigns.

Luckily, there isn't a shortage of intriguing candidates out there who can guide the Giants to better days. Here's a look at eight of them, alongside a verdict for who may be the best.

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Former NFL Head Coaches with Past Success

Brian Flores, Dan Quinn and Jim Caldwell are three names who come to mind if the Giants want to find people who have guided teams to success in the past.

Flores was just let go as the Miami Dolphins' head coach after three seasons despite leading the team to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2003. An internal power struggle and disagreements with Dolphins GM Chris Grier, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, ultimately was Flores' downfall.

But Flores shouldn't be out of a job for long, simply because he did great work for a team that hasn't enjoyed consistent success in two decades. The Dolphins went 19-14 over the past two years and didn't give up this season after a 1-7 start. His players seem to love him too.

The Giants should have Brian Flores as a top candidate for head coach. He has a strong track record of developing young defensive players, he and Patrick Graham have good history, and there's enough draft capital to fill the holes on this roster.

— Diante Lee (@DianteLeeFB) January 11, 2022

Caldwell should get an interview. Like Flores, he has experience taking a moribund franchise to greater heights, as the Detroit Lions posted three winning records during his four-season tenure from 2014 to 2017.

To put that in perspective, the Lions have had five winning campaigns in total from 1998 to 2021, a 24-season span. Caldwell had a 75 percent winning season success rate (3-of-4), and all other coaches went 2-of-20 (10 percent). That's incredible.

Jim Caldwell has been best available coach for 4 years. He wins w/weak talent; is respected by all ex-players & a guru at developing QBs. But NFL is too racist & ageist to hire quality over Urban Meyer’s & Joe Judge’s.

Wrote this 3 yrs ago. Still applies:https://t.co/Rxl0o50AUq

— #StopCopCity (@ChuckModi1) January 10, 2022

Caldwell also led the Indianapolis Colts to a Super Bowl appearance in 2009. The bottom fell out for him in Indianapolis when the Colts went 2-14, but they also struggled minus quarterback Peyton Manning (neck injury). You can't entirely put the blame on Caldwell there.

No team will ever be as close to winning a Super Bowl without actually getting the Lombardi Trophy than the Quinn-led 2016 Atlanta Falcons, who blew a 28-3 lead to the New England Patriots before losing 34-28 in overtime.

Despite the heartbreaking loss, the fact that the Falcons got that far in just Quinn's second season as head coach is a testament to just how good he was in Atlanta, which has still never won a Super Bowl.

Sure, the end of his Falcons' career saw him go 7-9 twice before an 0-5 start in 2020 led to his firing. But Quinn is also a defensive wizard who guided the legendary Seattle Seahawks' Legion of Boom teams as well as the playmaking Dallas Cowboys' D now as their defensive coordinator.

Dan Quinn Jersey guy. New York Football Giants. He deserves an interview.

— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) January 11, 2022

Just heard the story about Dan Quinn helping Kellen Moore with the head coach interview process, and I continue to be surprised by how highly I think of that man. Falcons fans, he may not have accomplished the ultimate goal, but he’s a great human being and does his best.

— Will McFadden (@willmcfadden) January 9, 2022

He deserves a look.

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Hot Offensive Coordinator Candidates

There isn't a shortage of big offensive coordinator names who will be considered.

Four of the best who should be on the Giants' radar are the Buffalo Bills' Brian Daboll, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Byron Leftwich, the Green Bay Packers' Nathaniel Hackett and the Dallas Cowboys' Kellen Moore.

All of those teams are going to the playoffs. All of those teams are top 10 in scoring, with Dallas, Tampa and Buffalo in the top three. The Giants were 31st each of the last two years and 32nd overall from 2020-21. Something needs to change, and any of these OC's could be the person to do so.

Before Daboll's arrival, the Bills were 27th in scoring in 2017. Granted, the team has seen an infusion of talent since then (quarterback Josh Allen, wideout Stefon Diggs, etc.), but the Bills have been third in scoring each of the last two years. Daboll is a big part of that, and Allen is a big fan of his creativity, which is something the Giants need.

Question: How would you rate Brian Daboll’s creativity?

Josh Allen: pic.twitter.com/68svk9JogQ

— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) December 31, 2021

The Buccaneers are second in scoring despite being short-handed on offense for much of the season (Antonio Brown, Chris Godwin, etc.). Leftwich played a big role in keeping things stable while trying to figure out how to adapt each week.

OC Byron Leftwich says the Bucs haven’t had ‘a full deck of cards’ since about week three or four. Finding new ways to win isn’t anything new to them.

— Carmen Vitali (@CarmieV) January 6, 2022

Leftwich is a former NFL quarterback who played a decade in the league, and he's a Super Bowl-winning OC. He also has a huge backer in Bucs head coach Bruce Arians:

Bruce Arians: "I was very, very pissed that Byron [Leftwich] didn't at least get an interview this year for the job that he's done. I get way too much credit and so does Tom Brady for the job that Byron has done."

— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) February 2, 2021

No team scored more points this year's than the Cowboys, with the Moore-led offense exploding early and often.

Moore's best work arguably came in a 20-16 win over the Minnesota Vikings, when backup Cooper Rush started for an injured Dak Prescott and led the team to a huge road win. The 33-year-old's intelligence has gotten praise, including from wideout CeeDee Lamb:

CeeDee Lamb: Kellen Moore “reminds me a lot of Coach (Lincoln) Riley. It’s just like, he’s so smart. … That’s why he brings so much success to this offense. Kellen definitely does a great job of drawing things up.”

Lamb has been lobbying to throw a pass pic.twitter.com/zbkkzWkBFg

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) October 14, 2021

SMART BOMB?

'Kellen Moore is the Smartest Coach in the Room': Can #DallasCowboys Offense Explode vs. 49ers in Playoffs? https://t.co/zPiR8iqy1L via @lockedoncowboys by @JeremyBrener

— fishsports ✭ (@fishsports) January 11, 2022

Perhaps Moore is the infusion of creativity the Giants need on the offensive end, but the G-Men could look toward Hackett, who has a ringing endorsement from likely NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers:

"We gotta great coaching staff on both sides of the ball & I think this is a little overdue for Nathaniel Hackett.. he is a great coach & a fantastic teacher"@AaronRodgers12 on the Packers coaching staff getting interviewed for head coaching jobs #PatMcAfeeShowLIVE pic.twitter.com/r5884KipGX

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 11, 2022

Hackett also has a very engaging and interesting personality, as Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post profiled when calling him a "football lifer with a Renaissance man's flair."

A short glimpse into the Nathaniel Hackett Experience:https://t.co/OxIED0as7E pic.twitter.com/9c8LEezvvU

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) October 24, 2021

Hackett has been the Packers' OC for three seasons. The team notably reached the NFC Championship Game in 2019 and 2020 and earned the No. 1 seed in the conference playoffs this year. Hackett is a big reason why.

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The Wild Card

If the Giants want to go outside the box, then they should consider Pro Football Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed, who has made his intentions to be an NFL head coach or defensive coordinator clear.

HC or DC let me be clear. https://t.co/lPecM3QYpE

— Ed Reed (@TwentyER) January 24, 2021

Sure, he has just one year under his belt as an assistant defensive backs coach (2016 Buffalo Bills) and two years as the University of Miami's chief of staff (2020-2021).

But Reed is one of the best and most brilliant football minds around. There isn't a shortage of compliments to be found about his work.

it takes a lot to shock Bill Belichick...

this was one of THE GREATEST plays he ever saw in the NFL

✅ film study
✅ instincts
✅ subterfuge
✅ execution pic.twitter.com/5z3tWAHQ04

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) August 11, 2020

He was also a tremendous leader who has a respectful perspective for anyone in the locker room. Check out this story, for example.

Ed Reed was the definition of a leader 🙌 @TwentyER @Ravens (via @DIRECTV) pic.twitter.com/NykXn9DZlP

— NFL Legacy (@NFLLegacy) June 24, 2019

Reed notably helped guide the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl win in February 2013. He's a first-ballot Hall of Famer too.

Sure, it's not common to see people become NFL head coaches with zero prior coordinator or coaching experience. But Reed should be the exception to that rule. He deserves consideration.

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The Verdict

The Giants have historically had success giving former NFL head coaches another shot leading a program, especially after rocky periods in the team's history.

In 1992, Ray Handley was coming off a tumultuous two-year tenure that saw the Giants go 14-18 after winning the Super Bowl to cap the 1990 season, which also saw Hall of Famer Bill Parcells retire afterward.

The Giants then turned to a calm, veteran leader in Dan Reeves, who proceeded to guide New York to an 11-5 mark and a playoff appearance in 1993. An overtime loss to Dallas in the season finale separated the G-Men from getting the NFC's No. 1 seed that year.

Reeves' final three years didn't go as well, though the Giants got the wrong end of tiebreaker luck in 1994 when the 9-7 team missed out on the playoffs. Still, Reeves restored Giants pride for an aging team thanks to his work.

The bottom fell out on Fassel at the end of his tenure, with the team going 0-8 to end a 4-12 season in 2003. In came former Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Tom Coughlin, a supremely disciplined man who was harsh with his players and the media alike.

It was a bit rocky for Coughlin at first, and his job was on the line after the Giants' second-half collapse in 2006 saw them nearly miss the playoffs after a 6-2 start.

But the Giants proceeded to win Super Bowls in two of the next five seasons (2007, 2011) and earn a No. 1 seed in a third campaign (2008) that seemed destined for a Lombardi Trophy before wideout Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg in a nightclub. Coughlin ultimately stabilized the franchise and got the team two of its four Lombardi Trophies.

What's that all mean?

The Giants are in another period of chaos, and they need an experienced leader who can calm the situation down and get the franchise back on track.

The 40-year-old Flores, who is from Brooklyn, could be that guy after he did so in Miami. He could also keep Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who did an admirable job with Big Blue over the past two years, on staff with the two having a close relationship.

Going for one of a pair of former coaches who have been there, done that and reached Super Bowls in Quinn or Caldwell is a good bet too.

Any of the OC candidates could be a good pick, especially given their success on playoff teams. The dreadful Giants offense needs a quadruple bypass, and any of those coaches can bring the team into the 21st century.

Still, with the way this team has performed, taking a more sure thing in Flores, Quinn or Caldwell could be a better bet.

It'd be interesting to see if anyone takes a chance on Reed despite his inexperience, though.

Simply put, he's an exception to the experience rule given his incredible success and intangibles, and the Giants should at least bring him in for an interview to see if he's the guy the team needs to shake the franchise out of its decadelong doldrums. He very well might be.