New York Giants Football: Fixing the Giants (part one) 5 moves that should be made at GM & the coaching staff
By Matt Clark
3. Name Jay Gruden as the offensive coordinator
Jay Gruden’s tenure as the head coach of the Washington Redskins did not end well. That said, his record with the Redskins should not be an indictment on his abilities as an offensive play caller. Gruden excelled previously as the offensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals from 2011-2013, when he helped groom an offense led by quarterback Andy Dalton and wide receiver AJ Green into playoff contenders during all three seasons as the offensive coordinator. His success led him to be one of the most sought after head coaching candidates when Washington hired him in 2014.
Currently, the New York Giants have Mike Shula as their offensive coordinator, but head coach Pat Shurmur has been unwilling to relinquish play calling responsibilities to him, instead opting to run the offense himself. Due to his questionable game management decisions, Shurmur has left himself open to criticism over whether his insistence to remain the offensive play caller for the Giants has hindered his ability to manage the game and vice versa.
After the disappointing results that Gruden endured in his time in Washington, where in his five plus seasons as the head coach, he had Robert Griffin III, Kirk Cousins, Alex Smith, Colt McCoy, Case Keenum and Dwayne Haskins all start at quarterback. Having the certainty of a starting franchise quarterback in Daniel Jones to develop an offensive playbook around would be a undoubtedly welcome sign for a coach who has dealt with a revolving door at the position while in Washington.
Gruden will undoubtedly be seeking a coordinator position to potentially help him resurrect his chances of landing a position as a head coach again in the league. Given his past successes as an offensive coordinator, the Giants would be prudent to allow Gruden to work with the immense amount of young talent that they currently possess on offense in an effort to maximize their output, something that Shurmur has not been able to do.