Ranking the New York Giants Coaching Staff: Ben McAdoo’s First Crew
By Mike Luca
19. Rob Leonard (Defensive Assistant)
18. Ryan Roeder (Offensive Assistant)
17. Craig Johnson (Running Backs)
McAdoo did an admirable job maintaining the sprinkling of assistants upon assistants in his coaching staff, matching newcomers with experience—clubhouse-specific experience and even on-field experience.
Leonard and Roeder each joined Coughlin’s staff in 2013 and both operate more behind the scenes, so news wouldn’t have been stir-crazy either way.
Leonard, originally brought in to serve as quality control, scout and mock opposing coach, survived a more likely scare most notably after the Giants’ major drop-off in sack output. He gets to stick with Steve Spagnuolo while the feel-good story and mind of Roeder stays snugly buried in a potent offense.
Meanwhile, the one returning positions coach that hopefully received a good and harder look is running backs specialist Craig Johnson. The once-quarterbacks coach from the Minnesota Vikings produced middling rushing attacks in two straight seasons (19th-best 100.6 YPG and only five touchdowns in 2015) and it took until Week 15 for the committee to be represented by a 100-yard rusher in a game (Rashad Jennings).
Repairs to the offensive line and more commitment to balanced play-calling must be McAdoo’s remedy through honoring Johnson’s mutual growth with this present collection of backs.
16. Dwayne Stukes (Special Teams Assistant)
With Larry Izzo leaving the vacancy for a promotion with the Houston Texans, McAdoo hires a man in Stukes with two stints of unemployment over the past seven seasons. Tom Quinn’s return masks any doubt induced by such inconsistency or youth, though Stukes’ Chicago Bears unit’s efficiency dipped from No. 11 to No. 25 in 2014.
Next: Secondary Helpings