Freshly-minted New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo spoke to the media on Friday morning as the team begins a “new era.” McAdoo called himself “battle tested” and the “right man for the job.” The 38-year old McAdoo is the second youngest head coach in the NFL, but when asked about his meteoric rise, he said it “felt like it took too long.”
“We’re not looking to rebuild, we’re looking to reload,” McAdoo said. The focus is “evolution, not revolution.” For the offense, that attitude makes perfect sense. Eli Manning is playing at an extremely high level coming off his best season yet at quarterback. Odell Beckham Jr holds the record for most receiving yards for an NFL player in his first two seasons. As for the running game, sure, that’s a situation that could use a reload.
As for the other side of the ball, that could use some rebuilding. For a defense that finished 32nd in total defense in 2015, a revolution might be necessary. While McAdoo insisted the coaching staff is still fluid, reports indicate that defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will return next season despite the blood curdling statistics.
McAdoo maintained that the second year in the system will help the defense. While that may be true, the core players will certainly need to be addressed, both on the field and off. McAdoo made it clear that Jerry Reese will be responsible for personnel, but there will be an “open dialogue.”
McAdoo signed a four-year deal to be head coach of the New York Football Giants. As Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News puts it, that means ”he’s got three years to win before he’s on the hot seat.”