Report: Giants Eyeing Jets Assistant Coach to Fill D-Backs Coaching Role

JAN. 17. REPORT: GIANTS EYEING JETS ASSISTANT COACH TO FILL D-BACKS COACHING ROLE. The New York Giants, who this week parted ways with defensive backs coaches Jerome Henderson and safeties coach Michael Treir, are reportedly interested in speaking with New York Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel to fill one of those vacancies.  

Manuel, 45 years old, is a former NFL defensive back, having entered the league in 2002 with the Cincinnati Bengals, who selected him in the sixth round of that year’s draft. 

Manuel also played for Seattle, Green Bay, Carolina, Denver and Detroit before finally calling it a career after the 2009 season.

He began his coaching career as an intern with Florida, his alma mater, in 2011. From there he went to the NFL, making spots with Seattle (with whom he was part of a Super Bowl championship), Atlanta, Philadelphia, and the Jets, with whom he’s been since the 2021 season. 

As a player, Manuel appeared in 116 games with 58 starts. He logged 368 tackles, two quarterback hits, one sack, 16 pass breakups, two interceptions, and one defensive touchdown.

Manuel served as the Falcons defensive coordinator under head coach Dan Quinn during the 2017-2018 seasons.  

JAN. 15. GIANTS QUIETLY TWEAKING S&C, ASSISTANT COACHING STAFF. The New York Giants might not be making any significant changes among their coaching staff, but that doesn’t mean some moves haven’t already occurred.

According to the team’s website, defensive assistant Ben Burress, director of strength and conditioning Frank Piraino, and director of sports and performance nutrition Steve Smith are no longer listed in their respective roles.

Burress as an offensive assistant. He then spent the next three seasons as a football data and innovation research analyst before returning to a more coaching role, this time as a defensive assistant, in 2023, a role he also held last year. 

Burress temporarily replaced outside linebacker Charlie Bullen earlier in the season when he was sidelined after suffering a broken leg that required surgery. Bullen didn’t make the trip to the team’s Week 2 game against Washington, so Burress served as the outside linebackers coach in his place.

Burress is reportedly taking an offensive assistant role with the University of South Carolina. 

Piraino, hired last year after five seasons with the Titans and then head coach Mike Vrabel, is reportedly joining Vrabel in New England in a similar role.  

Smith was hired by the Giants in 2020 after Pratik Patel, the team’s previous director of nutrition and assistant strength and conditioning coach, left the organization. It’s unclear if he has another role lined up at this time.

JAN.13: GIANTS LOSE KEY FRONT OFFICE EXECUTIVE TO PATRIOTS. As Charles Robinson of Yahoo first reported over the weekend and confirmed by SI’s own Albert Breer, New York Giants executive advisor to the general manager Ryan Cowden is joining Mike Vrabel with the New England Patriots. 

Cowden, who worked with Vrabel in Tennessee with the Titans, interviewed with the Giants in 2022 for their general manager position that ultimately went to Joe Schoen.

Schoen hired Cowden in 2023 to serve as an advisor. 

During his time with the Titans (2016 to 2022), Cowden served as director of player personnel, vice president of player personnel, and interim general manager in 2022.  

Before working with the Titans, Cowden and Schoen were colleagues in the Carolina Panthers scouting department. 

Cowden’s new position with the Patriots isn’t yet known. He will work under Eliot Wolf, the Patriots’ executive vice president of player personnel, who is believed to be the highest-ranking personnel figure in the Patriots organization. 

JAN. 7. GIANTS CO-OWNER JOHN MARA HAS SURPRISING REACTION TO SAQUON BARKELY’S SLEEP-AID AD. New York Giants co-owner John Mara wasn’t too happy with the new Unisom sleep-aid ad done by former running back Saquon Barkley, but not for the reason you think.

The ad, which thinly referenced Mara’s now-viral comments about not being able to sleep at night if Barkley signed with the Eagles, appeared on the running back’s Instagram account a couple of days ago. (Barkley had the script re-written as he reportedly felt the original version cut too close to the bone.)

Mara, the uncle to actresses Kate Mara (House of Cards, We Are Marshall) and Rooney Mara (The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo), didn’t seem to mind the reference from Barkley in the ad, but he did take some playful offense that he wasn’t invited to participate in the ad, telling reporters, “There’s an acting gene in my family; it’s not just my nieces.” 

JAN. 6: MIKE KAFKA DRAWS INTERVIEW REQUEST FROM BEARS, SAINTS. According to the NFL Network, the Chicago Bears have requested the New York Giants' permission to interview assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Mike Kafka for their head coaching vacancy.

Kafka, a Chicago area native and former NFL quarterback, played high school football at St. Rita in Chicago and college football at Northwestern University. 

In addition to the Bears, The New Orleans Saints have also requested permission to speak to KAfka about their head coaching vacancy, reports NFL insider Josina Anderson.

A 2010 fourth-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles, Kafka has been steadily in demand for head coaching vacancies, even though the last two seasons have seen the Giants' offense hover at or near the bottom of the league in every major statistical category.

Kafka had the play-calling duties taken away from him at times in 2023 before losing it altogether in 2024 when head coach Brian Daboll elected to take on the responsibilities himself. 

Under Daboll, however, the Giants' offense was no better and, in some categories, even worse. In his discussion with team president and COO John Mara, the topic of play calling was one that Mara said was discussed and one that Daboll said he would rethink moving forward.  

Kafka, who told reporters last week that he was under contract to the team for 2025 and that he didn’t want to speculate about his future, had an opportunity to interview for a lateral move last offseason with the Seahawks after missing out on head coaching jobs, but the Giants denied permission.  

Seattle ended up hiring Ryan Grubb as its offensive coordinator, whom they fired on Monday after the Seahawks failed to make the postseason.

JAN. 3: SAQUON PLAYFULLY TROLLS GIANTS IN NEW AD. Former New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley has a solution for anyone who bleeds Giants blue and might still be having sleepless nights about his joining the Philadelphia Eagles in the offseason.

At least that's what he admits to in a new commercial for Unisom, which Barkley posted on his Instagram account.

As is now known, Barkley, who obviosuly didn't write the commerical or the jingle, not only signed with the Eagles, but he posted a career-best 2,000-yard rushing campaign, coming up just 101 yards shy of breaking the NFL single-season rushing record set by Eric Dickerson in 1984.

Meanwhile, the Giants saw their 100th season implode thanks to inconsistent quarterback play, injuries, questionable coaching, and, some would argue, Barkley's deflection to the Eagles.  

So Barkley's solution for anyone still losing sleep over his signing with the 2024 NFC East Champs is to try the over-the-counter product.

“I heard some of you were having trouble sleeping, so I wrote you a lullaby,” said Barkley.

“Rockabye baby awake in your bed as the thought of 2,000 swirls in your head. It sure is tough to lose sleep over football; not for me, though. Goodnight to you all.”

And if that didn't work?

“Try counting sheep,” Barkley said, as images of lambs with his face superimposed on the animal’s head repeatedly jump over a fence.  

Barkley is not expected to play in the Eagles’ Week 18 regular-season finale when Philadelphia hosts the Giants.