Thoughts on The Giants Hiring John Harbaugh
/It looks as if John Harbaugh will be the next head coach of the New York Giants. Let’s discuss.
Harbaugh was the most coveted coach on the market. When the Ravens let him go it was only a matter of time before he found himself a different team to take over. I know that the Titans, Falcons and Giants all really wanted him. I was kind of hoping, after their meltdown in the playoffs, that maybe even Green Bay would try to hire him, if they decided to move on from Matt LaFleur. I know he was looking at and talking to other teams all last week, and he finally went on an in person interview with the Giants on Monday. I read he was supposed to do an in person interview with the Titans, possibly today, but that isn't going to happen now. The Giants went all out, basically giving him everything he wanted, had current players sit in on the interview and it looks as if he is accepting the job.
I think the Giants really lucked out here. Harbaugh knows the game better than most. He has been around coaching his whole life and it feels like he has been the head coach of the Ravens for almost two decades. He has a Super Bowl ring, went to the playoffs most seasons and commands respect from everyone in the NFL. The Giants have a ton to fix, but hiring Harbaugh was damn near the perfect first step. I'm not too crazy about Jaxson Dart as the QB of the future, but Harbaugh seems to have bought in on him. Dart feels like a flash in the pan, I kind of wished they went with Jameis Winston a little more last year. But if he has the go ahead of Harbaugh, then he will be the QB of the future, until he gets hurt or flames out. And even/when that happens, Harbaugh has much of the same duties as a GM with the proposed deal he is about to sign to coach the Giants. He is not only the head coach now, but he has GM abilities now, so he will get to pick and choose the players he wants. He will have to get a real cowbell running back. Cam Skattebo is not the answer. He reminds me of Peyton Hillis. He showed up out of nowhere last season, has already capitalized on his "fame" and will most likely continue to get injured, especially coming off a torn ACL. The best thing that Harbaugh has on this offense is Malik Nabers, also coming off a torn ACL. Nabers is a legit number one wideout, he cares about winning, he wants to get better and he has all the skills to be a perennial pro bowl player. Harbaugh will need to fix the o line, but he does have some pieces. The defense may be a full teardown and rebuild, but this deal is meant to give Harbaugh time to build this team in his image. It is similar, though not as big a contract with as many responsibilities, to his brother's deal with the Chargers. Jim Harbaugh was lucky enough to have Justin Herbert and a solid defense with the Chargers, but he has built that team the way he wants it and they have been to the playoffs, with weak exits, two seasons in a row. John Harbaugh should have the Giants looking more confident and similar to the Ravens in a few seasons. He will most likely start with building through the draft, but I wouldn't be shocked if he goes big name hunting ASAP. New York is a massive market, guys want to play there, he is a coach that players like. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he goes after AJ Brown right off the bat to team up with Nabers. I bet he will try to get respectable o linemen on the free agent market. I bet, since he knows a ton about defense, he will rework the entire defense with both the free agent market and the draft. The Giants will have a high pick, and if he can get a couple of more studs to pair with Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux, this defense can be formidable as soon as next season.
I didn't know if I liked this idea of Harbaugh with the Giants. But after sitting on this for a day, this is a good move by both parties. The NFL is better when the Giants are relevant. They play in the same division as the Cowboys, so if they can beat them every season with regularity, that will make me happy as a Cowboy hater. And giving him some GM control was a good move. I don't usually like when a coach also has the duties of a GM, but a coach like John Harbaugh has been around the game long enough and has some ideas on how to build a team. I like this for both Harbaugh and the Giants and I'm interested to see how this team looks going forward. Time will tell.
Ty
Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.
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