Blue Notes | Takeaways from the Giants Assistant Coaches
Defensive line coach Sean Spencer, tight ends coach Freddie Kitchens and quarterbacks coach Jerry Schuplinski met with reporters via video conference on Thursday and revealed their approaches to molding this year's crop of young Giants into a winning unit.
Here are some takeaways from their respective media sessions.
Defensive Line Coach Sean Spencer
Spencer is opening his NFL coaching career in 2020 after 25 years in the college ranks. He will be inheriting one of the Giants' deepest position groups.
The Giants' defensive line is the team's only defensive position group with multiple first-round draft picks with Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence. Dalvin Tomlinson, a former second-round pick, rounds out an interior core that will look to be a strength for the Giants' defense in 2020.
The Giants also have a pair of later-round draft picks behind their starters with B.J. Hill and R.J. McIntosh, who have made modest contributions of their own in the past two seasons.
But Spencer doesn't approach his players with any sense of hierarchy and wants them to focus on reaching their potential with humility.
Spencer, nicknamed "Coach Chaos" for his energetic coaching style, has coached players from diverse backgrounds into quality starters. These include former top national recruits like Yetur Gross-Matos to former walk-ons like Carl Nassib.
"I don't care if you're a high draft pick or if you're 318 or whatever. I'm here to help you reach your potential," Spencer said. "I'm going to work with these guys and take them to their next step, whatever that next step is."
In particular, Lawrence is a player thought to have a very high ceiling after an impressive rookie season in 2019. Spencer has previous experience with Lawrence. During Spencer's time at Penn State, he scouted Lawrence as a high school senior.
"I knew him in high school, back in North Carolina I watched him do a workout and I was just amazed at how fluid he was as an athlete and I'm seeing signs of that already," Spencer said. "I'm going to push him to the brink and try to get the best out of him."
The Giants hope Spencer can get some added pass-rush production out of Lawrence after proving pass-rush potential as a rookie.
Spencer has a proven track record of getting the best out of defensive linemen from his time at Penn State as the Nittany Lions produce four-straight 40-sack seasons from 2015-18.
Quarterbacks Coach Jerry Schuplinski
Schuplinski will be responsible for helping Daniel Jones take a step forward in year two.
Schuplinski believes that building a relationship with a quarterback of any age is critical before you start to give them information.
"First thing you have to do is build a relationship with them. They have to know you have their best interests at heart." He also said you have to prove that the information you give them will help.
That relationship may have already manifested in a change Jones has made to his technique. Early training camp images show that Jones has been crouching more in his stance.
Schuplinski admitted that there are some points that the coaching staff has given the quarterbacks regarding their technique. However, coaches must also leave aspects of technique up to a quarterback's discretion, so that the coaches can get a feel for what makes them most comfortable.
"With any quarterback, the main thing is they have to feel comfortable back there," Schuplinski said. "There are certain pointers that we give out, but then it's also more of a feel thing.
"You kind of see how they are, how their comfortable, how their centers are just in terms of their stances and taking snaps and all that," he said. "Really, what allows them to get back in the pocket as best as they can."
Tight Ends Coach Freddie Kitchens
Tight ends coach Freddie Kitchens has a diverse background that has included working with every position on offense.
Giants head coach Joe Judge has stressed diversity as a key principle for the Giants' in 2020. Kitchens can help enforce that in the tight ends room, a position that figures to be a key one in offensive coordinator Jason Garrett's new system.
"I think coaching nearly all the positions in the past certainly benefits me from the standpoint of knowing what the other positions are thinking and doing," Kitchens said.
"I can carry knowledge from all the positions I’ve coached. At some point, the tight ends are going to be involved in all of the areas."
Like Spencer, Kitchens is also inheriting one of the Giants' most talented units with a handful of players from diverse backgrounds and expectations.
Tight end Evan Engram, a first-round pick in 2017, is projected to be one of the most productive receiving tight ends in the NFL this season if he can stay healthy.
Meanwhile, former undrafted free agent Kaden Smith flashed as a rookie in the passing and running game after filling in for an injured Engram last season. He will be leaned on as a top back up.
Veteran Levine Toilolo is expected to be the Giants' primary blocking tight end and brings seven years of playing experience to the Giants' tight end groups having played in four different offensive schemes.
Whether it's Engram staying healthy, Smith building on his skills as in year two or Toilolo holding up blocks, Kitchens is stressing technique soundness as a key principle for his group in 2020.
"It’s all football. It’s all technique-oriented to get the most out of the individual player and to get the most out of themselves. They understand that" Kitchens said.
"The basics are the same, whether you’re throwing the football or catching the football or trying to block a three-technique."
Receivers Coach Tyke Tolbert
Tolbert is one of the Giants' only returning coaches from the previous regime and is credited with helping Slayton develop into the team's leading wide receiver last season.
Tolbert believes that Slayton's experience last season will be a significant advantage going into his second season.
"At this point of time last year, he hadn’t played an NFL snap," Tolbert said "Now, he has some game experience. He can go out there and he knows the speed of the game and how the defensive backs play in the NFL. That’s, to me is the biggest difference."
While Tolbert values the experience that Slayton now has under his belt, he also believes that it is essential that Tolbert not get too caught up in the success he had last season.
Slayton will have to adjust to a new offensive scheme in 2020. Tolbert believes that Slayton still needs to prove he can contribute to the new offense.
"I don’t know if he proved anything," Tolbert said. "I say that last year was last year. This year is always a prove-it… He has to prove himself tomorrow, just like I have to prove myself tomorrow. We always have to prove ourselves every single day."
Inside Linebackers Coach Kevin Sherrer
Outside of Blake Martinez, Kyler Fackrell, and David Mayo, Sherrer inherits a very young and unproven position group in 2020.
Second-year linebacker Ryan Connelly and sixth-round rookie Cam Brown could find themselves in the mix for playing time at linebacker.
However, Sherrer doesn't know what he has in the Giants' young linebacker groups or where the skills would best be applied yet.
While the Giants have access to college film, Sherrer says that film can be misleading in determining where a player fits best in the NFL.
"Until you actually see those guys in person, you don’t really know. Sometimes they’re bigger or not as big as what you thought they were on film. It’s best to be able to see those guys in person," Sherrer said.
"Once you get them here, then you go, ‘Ok, this guy may be better to train at a couple of different positions,’ whether it be outside, inside, back, or things like that.
"College film is a big part of it, but once you get your eyes and hands on them, you might say that’s the best way to find out.
Sherrer said that one way the Giants are evaluating their linebackers is by working them in with other position groups to see how they play into the overall defensive philosophy and schemes.
"There are times where we pair up with the defensive front, with the outside linebackers, and kind of interchange players, you might say. Ideas, skill coach, the inside and vice versa," Sherrer said.
