The New York market adds pressure to its professional sports teams. The New York Giants enter the 2024 season needing to improve in many areas. This off-season, the Giants got better and worse in a few places.
Where the New York Giants Got Better & Worse This Off-Season
The Front Office & Coaching: Worse
A reported stalemate between Don “Wink” Martindale and Brian Daboll led to his ultimate departure in New York. The departure of Martindale doesn’t look great on paper for the Giants, but the team can look forward to not having tension between Daboll and Martindale. While Martindale’s defenses in New York did not reach those of his former Baltimore Ravens defenses, his absence creates questions about the future of the defense. Martindale was known for his creativity as a defensive coach, especially when dialing up blitzes. While the defense was boom-or-bust during his time, New York led the league in forced turnovers in 2023 (per NFL.com).
Under his watch, players like Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Thibodeaux emerged as premier defensive players. Thibodeaux came into the league as a blue-chip prospect but has not yet hit his ceiling. The hope was that Martindale could tap into the potential that made Thibodeaux a top-five pick in the NFL Draft, especially after the team traded for Brian Burns. It’s now up to Shane Bowen to capitalize on a defense that has cornerstone players like Lawrence, Burns, and Thibodeaux but also will be relying on young players in the secondary. Bowen had a strong run with the Tennessee Titans but will enter a pressure situation in New York. His impact will have a lot to do with the success or failure of the Giants 2024 season.
