4 possible Wink Martindale replacements if the NY Giants don't bring him back

Could head man Brian Daboll be looking for a new defensive coordinator soon?
New York Giants defensive coordinator Don \"Wink\" Martindale on the first day of training camp at
New York Giants defensive coordinator Don \"Wink\" Martindale on the first day of training camp at / Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 4
Next

1. Leslie Frazier


If the Giants let Wink go, their first call should be to Leslie Frazier. Frazier is the former head doach of the Minnesota Vikings and one of the finalists for Big Blue's head coaching vacancy in 2022 that Daboll got.

Frazier's most recent NFL job was as the Bills defensive coordinator from 2017 through 2022. In those six seasons in Buffalo, his defenses progressively improved each season. In 2017, Buffalo had the 18th-ranked scoring defense, giving up 22.4 points a game. In 2018, the Bills ranked 18th (23.4), second in 2019 (16.2), 16th in 2020 (23.4), first in 2021 (17.0), and second in 2022 (17.9). With a similar roster throughout, it is clear Frazier was able to develop, improve, and get the best out of each member of that Buffalo defense.

The 64-year old coach helped take Buffalo out of the dark ages of decades of brutal football into the new-age Bills franchise, a perennial contender. That accession helped the Bills attract major talents on defense like Von Miller. The Giants need someone with a track record of taking a struggling franchise over the hump and one who has shown the ability to attract major talents to play for him.

We know that Daboll and McDermott ended on rough terms in Buffalo. With Frazier's recent departure and Ken Dorsey's firing early this week, it's possible that none of Daboll, Frazier, and Dorsey enjoyed working for McDermott. Those three could bond in their potential disdain and team up as the three lead coaches in the Big Apple in 2024. Frazier's track record and resume are unmatchable. If the Giants part ways with Wink, they need to line up the Brinks trucks to attract the ex-Minnesota head coach.

manual