If you’re into reading tea leaves, this one’s worth your attention. A familiar John Harbaugh connection may be lining up with the New York Giants this offseason, and the signs are everywhere.
It started when Harbaugh began building out his staff, bringing in everyone and anyone who worked for him in Baltimore. That was the first indication the G-Men would add a bit of purple and black to their blue, white, and red. That begs the question: why stop at the staff when the 63-year-old can reunite with some of his former players, too?
Related: Giants' chances at landing two-time Pro Bowler have never felt more real
After Big Blue hired Dennard Wilson as its defensive coordinator and Donald D’Alesio as its defensive backs coach, Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey could become a priority target for New York this offseason. And the stars might be aligning, because I’m not the only one who thinks so.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine all but guarantees the 29-year-old will find his way to North Jersey, either via trade or free agency, as a potential cap casualty.
Marlon Humphrey is starting to feel like a real Giants target thanks to John Harbaugh's moves
It's no secret the G-Men need secondary help, especially at cornerback. Deonte Banks is borderline unplayable. Paulson Adebo looked like a shell of himself last year, coming off a season-ending leg injury the year before. Dru Phillips regressed in Year 2. And Cor'Dale Flott's coming off a breakout campaign just in time for free agency.
They need help.
Ballentine believes the former Alabama standout is someone who could be on Harby's wishlist. He listed the 2017 first-round pick as a top-three dream trade target for the Giants, and also mentioned him as a potential cap casualty for Baltimore, making him an intriguing free-agent play, too.
Either way, Marlo's services are in high demand in East Rutherford. He's definitely on the back nine of his four-time Pro Bowl career, but his experience and leadership alone would do wonders for a secondary looking to bounce back after years of being exposed.
There's just no way the Giants have been this calculated with building out their defensive coaching staff if they didn't have an end goal in mind. D'Alesio was working with him just last season, along with Kyle Hamilton, Alohi Gilman, and Nate Wiggins. Additionally, Wilson is a seasoned DBs coach who has worked with the likes of Jamal Adams, Marcus Williams, Darius Slay, and L'Jarius Snead.
The signs are signing. Everything's starting to add up: you don’t load up on defensive minds like this without planning to chase a corner like Marlon Humphrey.