Giants news, 2/8: Mike Kafka, Jerome Henderson, Shea Tierney, more headlines

New York Giants news for Thursday

Good morning, New York Giants fans!

Kafka named assistant head coach

The New York Giants today announced the promotions of three current coaches and the addition of two new members to the staff.

Mike Kafka will have assistant head coach duties added to his role as offensive coordinator. Secondary coach Jerome Henderson, meanwhile, will also be the defensive passing game coordinator, and quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney will take on the additional role of offensive passing game coordinator.

The two newcomers are outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen and defensive assistant Zak Kuhr. Bullen spent the previous two seasons as the Illinois football program’s outside linebackers coach/pass rush coordinator. Kuhr just completed his fourth season coaching in the NFL and was the inside linebackers assistant since 2021 in Tennessee.

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• The making of a Super Bowl champion: The 2007 New York Giants
• 2024 NFL Draft prospect profile: Dominick Puni, OL, Kansas
• New York Giants 2024 coaching tracker
• 2024 NFL Draft prospect profiles: Who will be Giants?

Other Giant observations

Why the Giants hired Shane Bowen as defensive coordinator | ESPN.com

But going through growing pains with a first-time playcaller would have been an unnecessary risk for the Giants, a potentially fatal mistake for Daboll’s head-coaching career.

Bowen’s experience is part of what makes him attractive to this particular situation in New York. He has already been through that learning curve. Vrabel, the former head coach with the Titans, even brought in veteran coordinator Jim Schwartz to help Bowen in his formative years as a coordinator. It helped.

Giants Now: 10 things to know about DC Shane Bowen | Giants.com

In 2023, Bowen boasted the No. 1 defense in red zone scoring (allowed touchdowns on 37.7 percent of drives inside the 20), goal-to-go scoring (42.9 percent resulting in touchdowns), and third-down conversation rate in the red zone (23.4). In addition, Tennessee ranked second in inside the 30 touchdown efficiency (34.7 percent) and opponent third-and-short conversions (50.0 percent).

Jordan Schultz: Players, Coaches Still Believe in Daniel Jones

Phil Simms thinks Giants should show same patience with Daniel Jones as they did with him | Newsday

The Giants face a decision this offseason on whether or not they should move on from Jones.

2024 NFL Free Agency: Potential landing spots for top offensive linemen | PFF

The Giants desperately need to improve the league’s worst offensive line from 2023, and while much will be made of the right tackle spot, where 2022 top-10 pick Evan Neal has really struggled, adding a top-end pass protector next to the right tackle such as the Rams G Kevin Dotson could go a long way in stabilizing the right side of the offensive line.

The Giants could look to lock down their other guard spot with a good pass-protecting left guard in Minnesota’s Dalton Risner who settled in after his late arrival to Minnesota this season.

Super Bowl 2024: Giants missed Jon Feliciano this season and they told him so | NJ.com

The veteran center wanted to return to the team after the Giants reached the playoffs in 2023, but when the team delayed negotiations he ended up with the San Francisco 49ers and in his first Super Bowl. Feliciano, who will start at right guard for the San Francisco 49ers in Sunday’s Super Bowl, said he got that message from more than one of his former teammates.

“I did,” he said. “That whole line got really close that year. A lot of guys definitely reached out to me and guys off the offensive line as well telling me how much they missed me and stuff. Yeah, that felt good.”

Franchise tag candidates for all 32 NFL teams entering the 2024 NFL offseason | PFF

Will the Giants tag Barkley once again? They did so during the 2023 offseason to ensure that the No. 2 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft would be back. Barkley had a good season, but he wasn’t as good as in 2022. Barkley will be 27 years old in 2024, which is usually when running backs start to fall off, especially ones with an extensive injury history. It will cost a ton for the Giants to tag him again, but can they really afford to lose their best skill player?

2024 NFL Mock Draft: Commanders trade for No. 1 pick, Bears pick LSU’s Jayden Daniels | CBSSports.com

6. New York Giants, Drake Maye QB. Even with Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor on the roster, the Giants can’t pass on the big-bodied talent with Maye here at No. 6.

Eli Manning, from Giants Super Bowl hero to playful pitchman | New York Post

For 16 seasons as Giants quarterback, Eli Manning kept his head down, arrived early and departed late from the team facility, doing his best to keep his personality under wraps as much as possible. And now? Eli is a delightfully playful character, isn’t he?

One Giant Victory: An oral history of the winning drive in Super Bowl XLII | Giants.com

This is the oral history — as told by players, coaches, celebrity fans, and the broadcasters who brought you the game over a decade ago from Glendale, Arizona — of the Giants’ game-winning drive in Super Bowl XLII.

Around the league

Kadarius Toney is Super Bowl-sized headache for Kansas City Chiefs | USAToday.com

Super Bowl 58: Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs passing offense are peaking at the perfect time | PFF

Andy Reid had former Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy talk to offense ahead of AFC Championship Game | NFL.com

Report: Owners have complained about 49ers’ compensatory picks for developing people of color | Pro Football Talk

Mahomes, Chiefs OK being ‘villains’ if it’s price of winning | ESPN.com

Kyle Shanahan Is No Longer Running the Shanahan Offense | The Ringer

Cowboys Potentially Interested In Interviewing Former Giants DC Wink Martindale | NFLTradeRumors.co

Michigan eyes Martindale, Wilkins for coaching opening | NJ.com

Former Bills, Jets HC Rex Ryan interviews with Cowboys for defensive coordinator position | NFL.com

Cowboys block Commanders request to interview TE coach Lunda Wells | Pro Football Talk

Former Giants Alex Tanney joining Colts as offensive passing game coordinator | Pro Football Talk

Chargers name Michigan’s Jesse Minter DC; Greg Roman eyed for OC | ESPN.com

Patriots’ Eliot Wolf expected to be in charge of personnel department | NFL.com

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