Could Giants Progress Continue If Mike Kafka, Wink Martindale Leave?

Within the next week or two, the New York Giants will find out if they will need a new offensive and/or defensive play caller.

Their current one, Mike Kafka, is reportedly one of three known finalists for the Arizona Cardinals head coaching vacancy, joining Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and Steelers assistant coach Brian Flores for the position.

And defensive coordinator Wink Martindale is reportedly one finalist for the Colts head coaching vacancy and one who will get a third interview with the team.

Kafka, a former NFL quarterback, just completed his first season with the Giants as an offensive coordinator and play-caller. He was a main player in the offense's improvement, particularly that of quarterback Daniel Jones, who had one of his best seasons since turning pro.

Ideally, the Giants would like to continue with Kafka in the role, especially if they hope to have Jones back on a new contract. But how catastrophic would it be for the team if they were to lose Kafka after only one season?

According to retired Giants quarterback Eli Manning, it might not be as bad as some think.

"It just depends on who--if that happens--gets promoted or if they go out and sign a new offensive coordinator," Manning recently told the Locked On Giants podcast.

It's no secret that the Giants current offensive system's foundation is mostly rooted in what head coach Brian Daboll ran up in Buffalo when he was the defensive coordinator. Kafka, who came from Kansas City, certainly brought a few elements from his time under Andy Reid that don't necessarily have to disappear if he moves on to another position, meaning the offense probably wouldn't change all that much.

The concern comes with having a new voice in Jones's ear, perhaps someone who views playcalling differently than Kafka. Jones has already had four play-callers--Pat Shurmur, Jason Garrett, Freddie Kitchens, and Kafka--in his ear over his four-year NFL career and seemed to be set for his first back-to-back seasons with the same support staff behind him.

When Daboll was filling out his staff, Ken Dorsey, who had been the quarterbacks coach on the Bills staff before being promoted to replace Daboll after he left for the Giants job, was reportedly Daboll's first choice for offensive coordinator.

When Kafka was hired, he had to earn the right to call plays, something that Daboll never made a secret of enjoying. To his credit, Kafka did just that through a months-long audition that began in the spring and went through the reason, and he got better at it with each passing week.

Manning pointed out that Daboll is very involved in the offense but added that it also depends on whom the head coach brings in to work with Jones, who might not have Davis Webb in the room with him anymore if reports of Webb looking to transition to coaching are accurate.

"Brian Daboll is very involved in the offense and doing things, but it can change things up and on, you know, just how it works with who's in the quarterback room, who's in Daniel's ear, who's, who's doing all those things. We'll have to see what happens."

Losing Martindale could pose a different type of challenge for Daboll. Martindale had full autonomy to implement his style of defense after receiving Daboll's blessings. If he were to leave, presumably, the Giants might look to promote from within, with linebackers coach Drew Wilkins and defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson being the two likely candidates to receive consideration.

However, Martindale could look to bring Wilkins, who has been a part of his defensive staff for several years, with him to a new team as the defensive coordinator, a promotion that the Giants couldn't block.

As is the case with the offensive side of the ball, continuity is preferred. Promoting Henderson would ensure continuity to a point where the former NFL defensive backs coach could even implement more of his own touches on the system.

This isn't a case of Daboll being blindsided by the prospect of suddenly losing members of his staff. Having known of other teams' interest in his two coordinators, Manning believes that Daboll has some contingency plans to ensure that the progress the Giants made in his first season as head coach continues.

"Obviously, teams deal with this all the time and, and don't break stride and still find ways to be successful when guys get promoted or coordinators, you know, make it to head coaches," Manning said. "I'm sure they'll have a good plan no matter what happens."

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