1) First of all, congratulations on becoming the Head Coach/GM of the New York Giants, you had an interesting road to getting to this exact position. You left a 15-2 team for a team at the absolute start of a rebuild. The simple question is why coach?
NYG- Well, a lot of things happened and they happened quickly. Following that disappointing playoff loss, my mind wasn’t in the right place. You know us players and coaches don’t really have an off-season. I’m always looking to be a better coach. But part of always trying to be better, is the frustration that can build when things don’t go to plan. Due to my actions, I was no longer wanted back with the Jaguars. But the New York Giants offered something I could not pass up. A fresh new start with a squad looking to right their wrongs as well.
2) The G-Men are a cap mess at moment. You missed all of free agency and joined during the draft. A lot of fans and experts expected you to eat a lot of those bad contracts this year and cut Daniel Jones, Darren Waller, and Tommy Devito. Then put that money to next year Free Agency. Instead you choose to keep those guys. Why?
NYG- Honestly, the guys in that locker room love each other. And one thing I will always preach is brotherhood. Daniel Jones and I have had many talks upon my arrival. As well as Tommy Devito. If those guys can mentor Milroe, I have no problem keeping them. I have made it clear to them that he will be our starter day 1. As far as the cap mess, I will continue to talk to upper management on what we plan on doing. As of right now, we are happy with the group of guys we have on this roster despite the cap mess.(edited)
3) The draft grades came out and the Giants were ranked 28th. Now this on paper, and the game is played on the field. How do you feel about the “experts” and that grade?
NYG- No disrespect, but whoever did the draft grades are not “experts”. We filled our needs in this draft. We have a franchise quarterback. Jalen Milroe is the perfect guy for New York. He is unselfish, works hard, and brings in a different type of swagger. We got help on the defensive line by getting Justice Finkley. Him paired next to Ojulari and Dexter Lawrence will cause mass destruction. We also got a speedy wide receiver in Prentince. The Alabama wide receiver will be looked at as a huge steal in the upcoming years. I believe I am a great coach. I also believe that the players we got will have a great output on the field. So as far as the draft grades, I feel as though it was based off ignorance.
4) Jalen Milroe was the Giants 1st overall pick. A lot of people are saying that was a reach? The last QB the Giants drafted was Daniel Jones and the same label was given to him and now he is wearing the “bust label” if you ask around the league. What is the plan to avoid the same thing happening to Jalen?
NYG- Jalen Milroe was our guy. Allar will be a great quarterback for the Raiders, but would he have been a great quarterback for us? The New York Giants? The system a quarterback plays in has a huge impact on how their career pans out. The scheme we have made pointed toward Milroe. Allar can throw with the best of them, but he lacks the scrambling ability that Milroe has. We definitely were going back and forth between the two initially, but after Jalen Milroe’s workout with us, we were 100% locked in on him. As far as “bust”, that word is not in my vocabulary. Daniel Jones did not meet our expectations and that is that, but to call him a bust is disrespectful. It’s not always on the player. So looking at that situation, I have to make sure that Milroe is always in the right position to succeed. I have put it on myself to make sure that Milroe reaches his full potential.
5) Give me one offensive player and one defensive player that you are really excited about coaching this year?
NYG- Malik Nabers is one guy on the offensive side that I look forward to coaching. Watching him at LSU and seeing the great things he is already doing at practice has me excited. With eyes being on Hyatt, I believe that he will have an outstanding season with us. On the defensive side, I look forward to coaching Dexter Lawrence. I mean seriously! How far do you have to look to find a guy like that. He can rip through an offensive line by himself. And now that he has help, I expect him to be up there when it comes to DPOY
6) Now my 6th question, this is usually my bonus question that i keep in my pocket time to time (laughs out loud). You have a long time rivalry with the Cowboys coach who just won the super bowl and went undefeated. I know you are not here to “kiss the ring” to put it lightly. The Eagles have a no coach as well who is very good and you also have a history with. The division has the potential to be one of the best. In your eyes, what outcome makes this a successful season for the G-Men in your eyes?
NYG- There is no question in my eyes that this is the best division. With rumors going around that Coach Tempful is joining the Commanders, it is about to go down. Coach Procana will have that Eagles team rocking and rolling. As far as Coach Banky, he is undoubtedly the best coach in OGCFM history. But other than Coach Tempful joining the Commanders, I knew what we were getting ourselves into when I joined. And we definitely have no plans on “kissing the ring”. We believe that we can not only win the division, but also win the Super Bowl. Every year that I have coached, my goal has been to win the Super Bowl. And that does not change now. A successful season looks like us hosting up that trophy. Thank you for the interview!