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Giants AGM Brandon Brown Passed Over for Raiders GM Post | News Briefs

Brown, who interviewed for the Raiders GM job, will now return to the Giants for a fourth season barring anything unexpected.

Patricia Traina

New York Giants assistant general manager Brandon Brown talks to reporters after the first day of mandatory minicamp at the Giants training center in East Rutherford on Tuesday, June 13, 2023.
New York Giants assistant general manager Brandon Brown talks to reporters after the first day of mandatory minicamp at the Giants training center in East Rutherford on Tuesday, June 13, 2023. / Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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JAN. 22. GIANTS AGM BRANDON BROWN PASSED OVER FOR RAIDERS GM POST. The Las Vegas Raiders have hired Bucs assistant general manager John Spytek as their new general manager, the NFL Network reports.

With the news of Spytek headed to Las Vegas, that means New York Giants assistant general manager Brandon Brown, who received both a virtual and an in-person interview with the Raiders for the post, will be returning to the Giants for a fourth season barring any unexpected developments that might lure him away.

JAN. 22 REPORT: GIANTS HIRE MARQUAND MANUEL FOR DEFENSIVE SECONDARY COACH ROLE. The New York Giants have hired Marquand Manuel to join head coach Brian Daboll’s staff as the team’s defensive backs coach.

Manuel replaces Jerome Henderson and, possibly, safeties coach Michael Treir, who were not retained in their respective positions after the season ended.  

Manuel, 45, is a former NFL defensive back who entered the league in 2002 as a sixth-round selection of the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Manuel also played for Seattle, Green Bay, Carolina, Denver, and Detroit before retiring as an active player after the 2009 season. He appeared in 116 games with 58 starts and recorded 368 tackles, two quarterback hits, one sack, 16 pass breakups, two interceptions, and one defensive touchdown.

Manuel began his coaching career as an intern with Florida, his alma mater, in 2011. From there, he went to the NFL as an assistant coach, first with Seattle (with whom he was part of a Super Bowl championship), Atlanta (as the defensive coordinator under then-head coach Dan Quinn during the 2017-2018 seasons), Philadelphia, and the Jets (since 2021), as their safeties coach. 

JAN. 21: BRANDON BROWN COMPLETES IN-PERSON INTERVIEW WITH RAIDERS. New York Giants assistant general manager Brandon Brown completed his in-person interview for the Las Vegas Raiders general manager vacancy on Monday, per CBS insider Jonathan Jones.

Brown previously had a virtual interview with the Raiders, who are conducting a thorough search for a head coach and a general manager after moving on from Antonio Pierce and Tom Telsco, respectively, in those roles.

Brown has been with the Giants since 2022, hired shortly after Joe Schoen was announced as its general manager.

JAN. 20. MIKE KAFKA GETS SECOND INTERVIEW FOR SAINTS HC JOB.  New York Giants assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Mike Kafka is getting a second interview with the New Orleans Saints for their head coaching vacancy, NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero reported.

Kafka, who completed a virtual interview with the Saints earlier this month, is headed to New Orleans to discuss the position and his vision for the franchise in more detail. 

Kafka has been sought after for previous head coaching vacancies. In 2022, he was reportedly a finalist for the Arizona Carindlas job that went to Jonathan Gannon. During that cycle, Kafka also reportedly drew interest from Carolina and Indianapolis.

Last year, Kafka reportedly had interest from Seattle for their head coaching vacancy that went to Mike Macdonald. After hiring Macdonald, the Seahawks were also said to have wanted to speak with Kafka about their offensive coordinator role, but the Giants blocked that request.

Instead, the Giants, who stripped Kafka of the play-calling duties this year, reportedly gave him a pay raise and added the “assistant head coach” role to his job duties.

In the process, Kafka also received at least another year on his contract, confirming to reporters earlier this month that he was under contract with the team for the 2025 campaign.  

JAN. 18. REPORT: GIANTS AGM BRANDON BROWN TO INTERVIEW IN-PERSON WITH RAIDERS ON MONDAY. New York Giants assistant general manager Brandon Brown, who reportedly has been sought by the Las Vegas Raiders for their vacant general manager position, is scheduled to have an in-person interview with the Raiders on Monday, according to FOX Sports insider Jordan Schultz. 

Schultz added that Brown already had a virtual interview with the Raiders.

The Raiders, who have been conducting their head coach and general manager search simultaneously after dismissing Antonio Pierce and Tom Telesco from their respective posts, have cast a wide net for the general manager position. 

Among the candidates they have reportedly met with or have expressed interest in speaking with for the general manager post are Jon-Eric Sullivan (Packers), Jon Spytek (Bucs), Sheldon White (Steelers, also a one-time Giants defensive back), and Chad Alexander (Chargers).

Unlike some other teams currently conducting general manager and/or head coaching searches, the Raiders have not confirmed whom they have spoken with for either of their openings.

JAN. 17. REPORT: GIANTS EYEING JETS ASSISTANT COACH TO FILL D-BACKS COACHING ROLE. The New York Giants, who this week parted ways with defensive backs coaches Jerome Henderson and safeties coach Michael Treir, are reportedly interested in speaking with New York Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel to fill one of those vacancies.  

Manuel, 45 years old, is a former NFL defensive back, having entered the league in 2002 with the Cincinnati Bengals, who selected him in the sixth round of that year’s draft. 

Manuel also played for Seattle, Green Bay, Carolina, Denver and Detroit before finally calling it a career after the 2009 season.

He began his coaching career as an intern with Florida, his alma mater, in 2011. From there he went to the NFL, making spots with Seattle (with whom he was part of a Super Bowl championship), Atlanta, Philadelphia, and the Jets, with whom he’s been since the 2021 season. 

As a player, Manuel appeared in 116 games with 58 starts. He logged 368 tackles, two quarterback hits, one sack, 16 pass breakups, two interceptions, and one defensive touchdown.

Manuel served as the Falcons defensive coordinator under head coach Dan Quinn during the 2017-2018 seasons.  

JAN. 15. GIANTS QUIETLY TWEAKING S&C, ASSISTANT COACHING STAFF. The New York Giants might not be making any significant changes among their coaching staff, but that doesn’t mean some moves haven’t already occurred.

  • NOTE: See this article regarding the dismissals of Jerome Henderson and Mike Treier.

According to the team’s website, defensive assistant Ben Burress, director of strength and conditioning Frank Piraino, and director of sports and performance nutrition Steve Smith are no longer listed in their respective roles.

Burress as an offensive assistant. He then spent the next three seasons as a football data and innovation research analyst before returning to a more coaching role, this time as a defensive assistant, in 2023, a role he also held last year. 

Burress temporarily replaced outside linebacker Charlie Bullen earlier in the season when he was sidelined after suffering a broken leg that required surgery. Bullen didn’t make the trip to the team’s Week 2 game against Washington, so Burress served as the outside linebackers coach in his place.

Burress is reportedly taking an offensive assistant role with the University of South Carolina. 

Piraino, hired last year after five seasons with the Titans and then head coach Mike Vrabel, is reportedly joining Vrabel in New England in a similar role.  

Smith was hired by the Giants in 2020 after Pratik Patel, the team’s previous director of nutrition and assistant strength and conditioning coach, left the organization. It’s unclear if he has another role lined up at this time.

JAN.13: GIANTS LOSE KEY FRONT OFFICE EXECUTIVE TO PATRIOTS. As Charles Robinson of Yahoo first reported over the weekend and confirmed by SI’s own Albert Breer, New York Giants executive advisor to the general manager Ryan Cowden is joining Mike Vrabel with the New England Patriots. 

Cowden, who worked with Vrabel in Tennessee with the Titans, interviewed with the Giants in 2022 for their general manager position that ultimately went to Joe Schoen.

Schoen hired Cowden in 2023 to serve as an advisor. 

During his time with the Titans (2016 to 2022), Cowden served as director of player personnel, vice president of player personnel, and interim general manager in 2022.  

Before working with the Titans, Cowden and Schoen were colleagues in the Carolina Panthers scouting department. 

Cowden’s new position with the Patriots isn’t yet known. He will work under Eliot Wolf, the Patriots’ executive vice president of player personnel, who is believed to be the highest-ranking personnel figure in the Patriots organization. 

JAN. 7. GIANTS CO-OWNER JOHN MARA HAS SURPRISING REACTION TO SAQUON BARKELY’S SLEEP-AID AD. New York Giants co-owner John Mara wasn’t too happy with the new Unisom sleep-aid ad done by former running back Saquon Barkley, but not for the reason you think.

The ad, which thinly referenced Mara’s now-viral comments about not being able to sleep at night if Barkley signed with the Eagles, appeared on the running back’s Instagram account a couple of days ago. (Barkley had the script re-written as he reportedly felt the original version cut too close to the bone.)

Mara, the uncle to actresses Kate Mara (House of Cards, We Are Marshall) and Rooney Mara (The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo), didn’t seem to mind the reference from Barkley in the ad, but he did take some playful offense that he wasn’t invited to participate in the ad, telling reporters, “There’s an acting gene in my family; it’s not just my nieces.” 

JAN. 6: MIKE KAFKA DRAWS INTERVIEW REQUEST FROM BEARS, SAINTS. According to the NFL Network, the Chicago Bears have requested the New York Giants' permission to interview assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Mike Kafka for their head coaching vacancy.

Kafka, a Chicago area native and former NFL quarterback, played high school football at St. Rita in Chicago and college football at Northwestern University. 

In addition to the Bears, The New Orleans Saints have also requested permission to speak to KAfka about their head coaching vacancy, reports NFL insider Josina Anderson.

A 2010 fourth-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles, Kafka has been steadily in demand for head coaching vacancies, even though the last two seasons have seen the Giants' offense hover at or near the bottom of the league in every major statistical category.

Kafka had the play-calling duties taken away from him at times in 2023 before losing it altogether in 2024 when head coach Brian Daboll elected to take on the responsibilities himself. 

Under Daboll, however, the Giants' offense was no better and, in some categories, even worse. In his discussion with team president and COO John Mara, the topic of play calling was one that Mara said was discussed and one that Daboll said he would rethink moving forward.  

Next. John Mara on Why Daboll, Schoen Stay. John Mara Explains Why Giants are Sticking with Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen. dark

Kafka, who told reporters last week that he was under contract to the team for 2025 and that he didn’t want to speculate about his future, had an opportunity to interview for a lateral move last offseason with the Seahawks after missing out on head coaching jobs, but the Giants denied permission.  

Seattle ended up hiring Ryan Grubb as its offensive coordinator, whom they fired on Monday after the Seahawks failed to make the postseason.

JAN. 3: SAQUON PLAYFULLY TROLLS GIANTS IN NEW AD. Former New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley has a solution for anyone who bleeds Giants blue and might still be having sleepless nights about his joining the Philadelphia Eagles in the offseason.

At least that's what he admits to in a new commercial for Unisom, which Barkley posted on his Instagram account.

As is now known, Barkley, who obviosuly didn't write the commerical or the jingle, not only signed with the Eagles, but he posted a career-best 2,000-yard rushing campaign, coming up just 101 yards shy of breaking the NFL single-season rushing record set by Eric Dickerson in 1984.

Meanwhile, the Giants saw their 100th season implode thanks to inconsistent quarterback play, injuries, questionable coaching, and, some would argue, Barkley's deflection to the Eagles.  

So Barkley's solution for anyone still losing sleep over his signing with the 2024 NFC East Champs is to try the over-the-counter product.

“I heard some of you were having trouble sleeping, so I wrote you a lullaby,” said Barkley.

“Rockabye baby awake in your bed as the thought of 2,000 swirls in your head. It sure is tough to lose sleep over football; not for me, though. Goodnight to you all.”

And if that didn't work?

“Try counting sheep,” Barkley said, as images of lambs with his face superimposed on the animal’s head repeatedly jump over a fence.  

Barkley is not expected to play in the Eagles’ Week 18 regular-season finale when Philadelphia hosts the Giants.

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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