Ben McAdoo and Jerry Reese Won’t Be Hurting The Giants Anymore, So What’s Next?

Jerry Reese and Ben McAdoo at Giants press conference. Photo via NJ.com

New York Giants owners have seen enough of Ben McAdoo and Jerry Reese. The dastardly duo has been fired after a 2-10 start to the 2017 season. Let’s see how it all happened and what comes next.

First firing of a Giants head coach in-season since 1976.

First firing of a Giants GM since 1979.

MESSAGE RECEIVED!

The writing was on the wall. Sources said McAdoo would most likely be fired within 24 hours of the Giants rasslin’ the Raiders in Oakland and sho’ ’nuff, it happened. What the sources didn’t say is we’d get a double dip and Jerry Reese would receive his walking papers as well. And the final straw that broke the camel’s back has to be McAdoo’s mishandling of the Eli Manning situation. To quote Marv from Home Alone 2, “Wow. What a hole!”

Frankly, you could trace this debacle back to the 2016 draft. Reese gets cucked by the Titans and Bears, who go on to select Michigan State tackle Jack Conklin and Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Leonard Floyd respectively. Conklin was a First-Team All-Pro in 2016 and hasn’t missed a game yet. Floyd’s started all 22 games he’s played in (of a possible 28) and has 12.5 sacks with two safeties.

What does Reese do? He does what he’s prone to do: draft the best player on the board. Not the best player for the Giants. The Giants had a resurgent DRC under contract for the next three years. They just signed Janoris Jenkins to a monster contract. They’d already drafted so many misses at the CB position. Yet, here we are with Ohio State’s Eli Apple at the first pick.

How fitting that it started with an Eli and ended with an Eli. Apple has a forced fumble, an interception, and 15 passes defended while starting 18 of 23 games played. While his 2016 season was hit or miss, the first rounder’s 2017 has been a barrage of bad. From not even attempting to tackle Robert Woods in the L.A. Rams blowout to mailing it in against the 49ers, Apple has stunk out loud for the majority of the season. He then almost walked out (a la DRC) after getting criticized for his lackluster effort and has been inactive for the past three games.

This could be a just a blip on the radar for what could be a very long career for the 22-year-old. We can’t forget his mom, Annie Apple, underwent brain surgery. That has to take a toll on your mental and emotional well-being. With a new head coach and GM, maybe Eli Apple gets the support system he so desperately needs and gets back to the top form he’s flashed from time to time.

With McAdoo and Reese gone, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will serve as interim head coach while assistant GM Kevin Abrams gets the bump up to finish out this nuclear hellscape of a season. I seriously doubt they’ll hold those positions in 2018. This organization needs a thorough sweep of the broom. Clean house.

Here’s the list of potential head coaching candidates from NJ.com, Armchair All Americans, and Big Blue View:

Josh McDaniels – Patriots Offensive Coordinator
Mike Smith – Buccaneers Defensive Coordinator
Jon Gruden – Can we stop with this guy already?
Bill Cowher – DITTO (see above)
Frank Reich – Eagles O.C. (Bring on the miracle comebacks!)
Steve Wilks – Panthers D.C.
Pat Shurmur – Vikings O.C.
Mike McCoy – Broncos O.C. (*tweaked my neck shaking head*)
Leslie Frazier – Bills D.C.
Tom Cable – Seahawks Asst. Head Coach / O-Line
Dave Toub – Chiefs Special Teams Coach
Teryl Austin – Lions D.C.
Jim Bob Cooter – Lions O.C.
Todd Haley – Steelers O.C.
Matt Patricia – Pats D.C.
Mike Vrabel – Texans D.C.
Scott Linehan – Cowboys O.C.
Jim Schwartz – Eagles D.C. (Ewwwwwww!)
Todd Downing – Raiders O.C.
Kris Richard – Seahawks D.C. (meh)
Paul Guenther – Bengals D.C.
Harold Goodwin – Cardinals O.C. (Interesting)
Mike Shula – Panthers O.C. (Negs on negs)
Darrell Bevell – Seahawks O.C. (Russell Wilson is the biggest and best of human Band-Aids)
Bill Callahan – ‘Skins Offensive Line Coach
John DeFilippo – Eagles QB Coach
Mike Munchak – Steelers OL Coach
Russ Grimm – Titans Offensive Line Coach
Jim Harbaugh – Michigan Head Coach (Not a chance)
Brian Kelly – Notre Dame Head Coach (No thank you)
Nick Saban – Alabama Head Coach (I appreciate the joke)
David Shaw – Stanford Head Coach (Hmmm)
Kirby Smart – Georgia Head Coach (Nah)
Matt Rhule – Baylor Head Coach (Who?)

Here’s the list of top potential GM candidates from 247 Sports and NJ.com other than Kevin Abrams:

Marc Ross – Giants Director of Player Personnel (what Reese used to be, could be Reese 2.0)
Dave Gettelman – Former Panthers GM and Giants exec
PHIL MOTHERTRUCKING SIMMS – won’t happen but I love the bold nomination
Louis Riddick – ESPN Analyst
Nick Caserio – Patriots VP Player Personnel
Eric DeCosta – Ravens Assistant GM
Brian Gaine – Bills VP of Player Personnel
George Paton – Vikings Assistant GM
John Dorsey – Former Chiefs GM
Scot McCloughan – Former 49ers, Seahawks, ‘Skins exec
Scott Pioli – Former Jets, Chiefs exec, Current Falcons Assistant GM
Duke Tobin – Bengals Director of Player Personnel
Joe Douglas – Eagles VP of Player Personnel
Scott Fitterer – Seahawks Co-director of Player Personnel
Trent Kirchner – the other Co-director with Fitterer
Will McClay – Cowboys’ assistant director of player personnel
Terry McDonough – Cardinals vice president of player personnel
George Paton – Vikings assistant GM
Eliot Wolf – Packers Director of Football Operations

Whomever the Mara-Tisch Alliance picks as the Head Coach and the General Manager, those two need to work hand in sweaty hand to take the following steps:

Name Eli Manning the starting QB for 2018
Find out what Davis Webb is – so you can decide if you really do need to draft a future franchise QB and officially start the transition process away from Eli
Fix the frickin’ offensive line – Don’t overpay to keep Pugh and Richburg, sign a top free agent, consider using top pick on a tackle
Bring on as many quality linebackers as possible – sign a top free agent, draft a couple prospects inside and outside
Re-tool the special teams

Never forget 2017. NEVER. The lesson we can learn from Jerry Reese is to not rest on your laurels. When you win a Super Bowl, don’t let up. Because the moves made in 2008 and 2012 significantly crippled the Giants franchise. There was an opportunity for several deep playoff runs that were derailed by personnel decisions. It’s time to make up for past transgressions. It’s the dawn of a new era. Let’s gooooooooo.