I'm not one to overreact, but the New York Giants losing out on Todd Monken to the Cleveland Browns made me want to eat a football. It also blew up potentially limitless collab opportunities as well, but I'll push personal gripes aside.
It was John Harbaugh's first major hiring loss after assembling what one might misconstrue as Big Blue's version of The Avengers. While Harbs, Giants fans, and the organization reel from the loss, it's becoming clearer by the day that there are some very good options still out there.
Related: Todd Monken fallout has Giants fans staring at a total nightmare OC scenario
The time for sulking is over. Now is the time to get back up on that horse and finish the job. Every great plan comes with a greater Plan B. And with that, here are five candidates who could be great fits after Monken fell through.
Todd Monken setback sets up John Harbaugh for the ultimate OC comeback
Willie Taggart, Giants running backs coach
Not that I'm ranking these guys in any particular order, but it just so happens that getting Taggart in as the OC would be the easiest out of the group because, well, he's already on the team. He was recruited by both Harbaugh brothers to play for their father at Western Kentucky and has worked under all three at one point in time.
Not only will familiarity with Harby's system help Taggart's case, but it also helps that he was already interviewed for the position earlier in the offseason. He does seem more fallback option-y, but he's still a legitimate candidate.
Tee Martin, Ravens quarterbacks coach
Tee Martin's name has slowly but surely started making the rounds this coaching cycle as a potential contender for multiple OC openings. He garnered interest from the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders earlier in the cycle, so why not add a third team to the mix? I heard the third time's the charm.
The 47-year-old is a Harbaugh guy, spending the last five seasons with the 63-year-old. He was their receivers coach in 2021-22, before taking over as the quarterbacks coach in 2023, a role he's still entrenched in. Martin's work with Lamar Jackson makes him a truly intriguing OC to pair with Dart. He helped coach Jackson to his second MVP in 2023 and what-should-have-been-a-third in 2024.
The former Tennessee QB knows his stuff.
Charlie Weis Jr., LSU offensive coordinator
If anyone knows how to get the most out of second-year QB Jaxson Dart, it's probably Charlie Weis Jr. Weis is the son of former Notre Dame HC Charlie Weis Sr, and unlike his father, Junior's been cutting it up in the SEC and succeeding at a very high level.
The 32-year-old has spent the last four seasons working under Lane Kiffin as the OC and QB coach. Funny enough, he coached Dart for all three years he was in Oxford, casually breaking some of Eli Manning's old records.
He doesn't have much NFL experience (offensive analyst for the Falcons in 2017), but he's an offensive mastermind on the rise who's worked intimately with Big Blue's franchise quarterback. Sometimes you can't overlook the obvious.
Nate Scheelhaase, Rams pass game coordinator
Have you touched Sean McVay? Has he breathed in your general vicinity? Do you know how he takes his coffee? These are all questions seemingly every team, and their mother are asking for anyone who's worked on the Los Angeles coaching staff since McVay took over as HC in 2017.
His coaching tree is uprooting just about everyone else's with the branches it's forming, and Nate Scheelhaase might be the next one. The 35-year-old has had a meteoric rise in the coaching ranks, following two seasons working under McVay -- he's come a long way since being an undrafted QB out of Illinois in 2014.
He's had no shortage of interest, even getting four head coaching interviews this cycle (Browns, Ravens, Bills, Steelers). This could be a huge change-of-pace play by Harby to see what the young gun can do.
Davis Webb, Broncos offensive pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach
Once dubbed Eli's successor, Davis Webb has come a long way since being drafted in the third round by the G-Men in 2017. The actual quarterbacking never came to fruition, but the instincts and mind for it certainly did, and it translated into Webb becoming one of the hottest coaching candidates of the 2025 carousel.
After six years playing, Webb transitioned to coaching, joining Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos in 2023 as their QBs coach. He's been the puppeteer behind Bo Nix's development since they selected him 12th overall in the 2024 Draft. Most recently, he helped guide the Broncos to the AFC Championship Game this past season.
If the Raiders don’t hire Webb, there’s a clear path up the ladder in Denver now that the Broncos have canned offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi. But Sean Payton still calls plays, which makes that OC role feel more like “Assistant to the Regional Manager” than anything else.
That said, Webb’s phone won't stay silent for long -- the Giants, Eagles, and Ravens have all submitted requests to interview him for their open OC gigs. The competition is hot.