Big Blue Huddle

Q. What in particular do you think are the next steps for you? I need to get better at this, this, this?

KAYVON THIBODEAUX: We talked about it. My coach, Charlie (Bullen), he's been cooking. I'm really happy to have him. I thank God I have him, to be honest. He's been very instrumental in the short period we've been together. Talk about accolades plus respect equals achievement to legacy. That's kind of what we've been talking about. Last year I was able to get 11 and a half sacks. Those are the accolades. Now it's about getting that respect throughout the league, having teams fear coming to play against us. Just taking everything I do to the next level as far as that extra. Greatness is optional. I just got to kind of take that next step.


Charlie Bullen spent the 2023 season as the Illinois football program's outside linebackers coach/pass rush coordinator. Bullen joined the Fighting Illini in January of 2023 with 11 years of NFL coaching experience, including four years with the Cardinals.

Bullen spent the 2020-2022 seasons as Arizona's outside linebackers coach after originally joining the staff as assistant linebackers coach. He also served seven years with the Miami Dolphins from 2012-2018, working with the linebackers and defensive line.

With the help of Bullen's outside linebacker group, the Cardinals ranked fifth in the NFL with 89 total sacks from 2020-2021. Of those, 50 came via the outside linebacker position. During that span, three Cardinals outside linebackers posted 10+ sacks: Markus Golden, Chandler Jones, and Haason Reddick.

Prior to working with the Dolphins, Bullen coached for three seasons (2009-2011) as a graduate assistant working with the defensive backs at his alma mater, the University of Iowa.

Charlie Bullen's Coaching Timeline:

2024-Current: Outside Linebackers Coach, New York Giants

2023: Illinois, Outside Linebackers Coach/Pass Rush Coordinator

2020-22: Arizona Cardinals, Outside Linebackers Coach

2019: Arizona Cardinals, Assistant Linebackers Coach

2016-18: Miami Dolphins, Assistant Linebackers Coach

2013-15: Miami Dolphins, Assistant Defensive Line Coach

2012: Miami Dolphins, Defensive Assistant

2009-11: Iowa, Graduate Assistant (Defensive Backs)

2007-08: Iowa, Student Assistant (Quarterbacks)

Q. You mentioned on draft night you were watching like everybody else. That potentially affected your career. What was your thought process when you know there might be a quarterback out there? Were you thinking is this a vote for me or not me?

DANIEL JONES: I mean, I wasn't fired up about it. But I think it's part of it at this level, like I said. What I can do is focus on myself and getting healthy, play the best football I can play, and that I know I'm capable of playing. That's my job and that's what I'm going to do.

Q. Did you talk to Joe (Schoen) and Brian (Daboll) after they picked Malik about the quarterback pursuit?

DANIEL JONES: No. We talked about the pick, talked about getting Malik and getting to work with him.

Q. Do you feel they're committed to you for the long-term?

DANIEL JONES: Yeah, I feel good about where we're going. I feel good about this team. My job is to get healthy and play good football.

Q. Do you view Drew (Lock) as a competition for quarterback one job or do you think that's your job when you're healthy?

DANIEL JONES: I think we're all trying to do what we can to make this team as good as possible. Like any other year, I'm competing with the guys in there. Like every room on our team, there's competition. Like I've said a couple times, I'm going to try to get healthy, play good football.

Q. Do you feel like you got a lot to prove this year?

DANIEL JONES: I always feel like I have a lot to prove. I'm motivated, I'm doing everything I can to be ready to go.

Q. They tried aggressively to trade up three spots to draft Drake Maye. Do you take that personally?

DANIEL JONES: I don't think you can take anything personally at this level. How exactly it happened and what happened, I'm not sure I know and I'm not sure you know. At the end of the day, I'm focused on playing good football.

Q. Back in college, they are always recruiting over you. Is the mindset the same at the pro level? Do you look at it the same?

DANIEL JONES: Similar, yeah. I think I've always kind of had that kind of mindset. I don't think that changes how I work, how I go about my job, how I see my job and how I'm going to approach every day. That's not changing regardless of the situation.

Here was Daboll comments about the O-line from yesterday's presser

Q. With a new coach and obviously you're looking at a new approach, have you changed anything with your approach to the offensive line in OTAs and going into training camp and how has Carm Bricillo's philosophy kind of meshed with the guys you have now?

BRIAN DABOLL: I think Carm and James (Ferentz) are doing really good job. Again, this is a teaching camp here. There's no roster spots that are going to be made based on what they do here. This is more learning how we're doing it, the communication aspect of it, but as a whole they have done a good job in the meeting room, out on the practice field, working well together, so try to build off that.

Q. Is this a time of year where you want to see guys in different spots, do you get to a point where you want to see kind of your guys develop into, okay, this is what we want, this is our right guard?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, it's May right now, so we're trying to teach as many players different techniques. One time they might be guard, one time they might be tackle, you never know what we're going to need. We'll get to the depth chart much, much further down the road.

Q. Where are you starting Jon Runyon and Jermaine Eluemunor?

BRIAN DABOLL: Today, they're playing guards today.

Q. Do you have a specific side where you start Jon on or at least say, hey, you can kind of move from there?

BRIAN DABOLL: Today Jon is playing right guard, which is primarily where he has played so far up to this point. Eluemunor is playing left guard.

Q. Would you rather be in a position in August where you're not rotating guys in and out and you have a set five?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, I think we'll take it as it comes. So we got a long time between now and August and once we go through training camp, we get through this phase three, we'll teach them the that stuff we're doing. There's obviously certain changes we're doing. They will have a chance with pads on to compete and then when we figure out what we think is the right five combination, whenever that is, that's when it is. Whether it's in the beginning of August and however it sorts out.

Dan Duggan has a great article if you subscribe to the Athletic.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5516057/2024/05/23/new-york-giants-practice-daniel-jones-week-1/?source=emp_shared_article


For those that don't, I found the DB lines rather interesting


1st String

CB Deonte Banks, CB Cor'Dale Flott, CB Nick McCloud (slot), S Jason Pinnock, S Dane Belton.

2nd String

CB Tre Hawkins, CB Darnay Holmes, CB Andru Phillips (slot), S Tyler Nubin, S Gervarrius Owens.

3rd String

CB Kaleb Hayes, CB Alex Johnson, CB David Long (slot), S Jalen Mills, S Gervarrius Owens.

Louisville police officer who arrested Scottie Scheffler had been previously suspended

QuoteThe police officer who put world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler in handcuffs has a lengthy disciplinary record that includes multiple suspensions, employment records revealed Thursday.

Detective Bryan Gillis took Scheffler into custody May 17 when the golfer sought to enter Valhalla Golf Club as police investigated a nearby fatal accident.

Scheffler has maintained he was following police directions on how to drive into the club. But arresting police said Scheffler did not follow directions.

Further complicating the matter, city officials said Gillis did not activate his body worn camera when he encountered Scheffler.

The only footage, so far, appears to come from a squad car dashboard camera and a roadside pole and both sets of video don't clearly show what led to Scheffler being placed in handcuffs.

This link provides a list of the arresting officer's many discipline issues. The officer has also been disciplined for not activating his body cam.

https://sports.yahoo.com/louisville-police-officer-arrested-scottie-232229744.html

My #NyGiants takeaways from first OTA practice:
- Daniel Jones looked smooth moving around on his surgically repaired knee. 
- Pump the brakes on any QB controversy. Heard DJ looked has been the sharper QB so far this offseason and Drew Lock's inaccuracy today reinforced it. DJ was QB1 in 7-on-7. Lock QB1 in 11-on-11 (no reps for DJ).
- LT Andrew Thomas took no team reps. Seems like that was the case in earlier OTAs, too.  Load management? RT Evan Neal is with the rehab group.
- It's hard to believe that Josh Ezeudu is in line to be the swing OT again after struggling last year. I'd like to let him develop at OG -- compete to start or be the swing OG. But Jermaine Eluemunor was starting at RG and OT Matt Nelson was with the rehab group. Ezeudu next up.
- Why is Jon Runyan at RG instead of LG? First, it could be a day-to-day switch. But my broader understanding is that #Giants look at pairing up LT-LG and RT-RG. They are weaker on the right side, so put the better RG there.
- The DL depth is lacking on paper. I've been saying that since the draft. It was more startling today when Rakeem Nunez-Roches and Jordan Phillips were not here (voluntary).  Big opportunity for Jordon Riley.
- No sign of Daniel Bellinger, either. Big spring for him with Darren Waller not here/likely to retire.
- Eric Gray got some RB1 snaps in up-tempo 11-on-11.


https://x.com/rydunleavy/status/1793689860491948437?s=46&t=1vcQIN8GqF5J2oLdxEVEJQ

https://x.com/mikegarafolo/status/1793676555786616931?s=46&t=1vcQIN8GqF5J2oLdxEVEJQ

https://x.com/Connor_J_Hughes/status/1793672262261850537

https://x.com/rydunleavy/status/1793672898449965283

https://x.com/rydunleavy/status/1793672561362190353


Connor Hughes
@Connor_J_Hughes
#Giants just wrapped up their first media-open OTA.

The highlight: Long touchdown to Malik Nabers.

Drew Lock hit him on the deep shot. He got behind both Pinnick & Flott. Just a glimpse into what #NYG hope Nabers can bring.

Of note: There was pressure on the play. Lock might have been sacked, but it's a padless OTA, so give him the TD.

Of extra note: That was really the only highlight for Lock. He did not perform well in team drills. I had him 10 of 20 with several misfires.

https://x.com/DDuggan21/status/1793672571000438798

https://x.com/PLeonardNYDN/status/1793672885787074651

NEW YORK GIANTS
Additions:
Round 2, Pick 47: S Tyler Nubin
Round 3, Pick 70: CB Andru Phillips

Though the Giants made only two secondary selections, they targeted players who fit their scheme for a potential year-one impact. Nubin is a solid safety, one the Giants needed after losing Xavier McKinney in free agency. Nubin can play both free and strong safety, though he is best as a strong safety in robber coverage roles over the middle.

Phillips to the Giants was one of my favorite prospect-team fits of any selection in the draft. His press-man coverage style fits perfectly with New York's 2023 first-round pick, Deonte Banks. Now they can get even more aggressive to play Cover 1, Cover 0 or 2-Man.



https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-most-improved-secondaries-2024-nfl-draft-eagles-ravens

https://x.com/Patricia_Traina/status/1793646247682937107

https://x.com/DDuggan21/status/1793646528910770287

https://x.com/art_stapleton/status/1793647492338483231


https://x.com/DDuggan21/status/1793647693501231567

https://x.com/MadelynBurke/status/1793645465600131336


https://x.com/SNYGiants/status/1793661859419099618

https://x.com/NFL_DougFarrar/status/1793610047798558846

The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell – Inside the NFL's press coverage revolution


In this week's Xs and Os, Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar detail why the NFL is turning to press coverage, and which cornerbacks are best at it.

But in terms of being a good person, an honorable man, Mara is tops in the NFL, in my opinion.


https://x.com/jfowlerespn/status/1793336685222084777?s=46&t=1vcQIN8GqF5J2oLdxEVEJQ

https://x.com/rydunleavy/status/1792671971928625294?s=46&t=1vcQIN8GqF5J2oLdxEVEJQ

That is Banks who he is with

https://www.giants.com/news/malik-nabers-ota-highlights-recap-daniel-jones-tommy-devito


https://www.giants.com/news/daniel-jones-malik-nabers-otas-highlights-report-tommy-devito-brian-daboll

https://www.giants.com/_mobileview/news/malik-nabers-ota-highlights-practice-report-daniel-jones-wandale-robinson?hidebanner=true&adobe_mc=TS%3D1716321071%7CMCMID%3D55877736760835925212579094552878698201%7CMCORGID%3DF75C3025512D2C1D0A490D44%40AdobeOrg


https://www.giants.com/_mobileview/news/malik-nabers-ota-practice-highlights-daniel-jones-dru-phillips-nfl-draft-2024?hidebanner=true&adobe_mc=TS%3D1716321278%7CMCMID%3D55877736760835925212579094552878698201%7CMCORGID%3DF75C3025512D2C1D0A490D44%40AdobeOrg

https://x.com/cameronwolfe/status/1792977013470384497?s=46&t=1vcQIN8GqF5J2oLdxEVEJQ

Standing next to 6' 5" 315 pound Andrew Thomas



https://x.com/BrandonJacobs27/status/1791993081241149706

I am going to take the optimistic view on the various Giants issues:


1)  Coaching-  Daboll has learned from his earlier mistakes, and his coaching staff adjustments will have this staff firing on all cylinders this season rather than fighting among themselves

2)  The offensive line-  Between the infusion of veteran talent (who knows what it takes to play O-line in the NFL) and a new O-line coach (who never coached a unit that wasn't in PFF's top 10), this unit will finally break free of its decade-plus stretch of futility and poor play

3)  Quarterback play-  Between Daniel Jones and Drew Lock, one of them will elevate their game to provide the team with solid QB play.

4)  Injuries-  While the Giants failed to remove Ronnie Barnes, the team did bring back Aaron Wellman, who as the Strength and Conditioning coach and has proven he can reduce injury.  We can look forward to a middle-of-the-pack injury season rather than leading the league.

5)  Pass Rush-  The addition of Burns to Thibs and Dex will make the Giants pass rush something that keeps OCs up at night.

6)  Explosive plays-   The Giants lost Barkley, but frankly, he was living on reputation.   He wasn't providing the explosive plays a star provides either on the ground or through the air.  Malik Nabers will change that, and his presence will allow others like Robinson and Hyatt to join in on the fun.

So by drinking the Kool-Aid, this team will be going to the playoffs again like they did in 2022.

'Baby Bison': How SMU's Elijah Chatman's incredible strength sets him up for success
Chatman's been the strongest since he was a boy. That hasn't changed entering his senior year with the Mustangs.


Today, Chatman – known as the "Baby Bison," pronounced (BEE-ZAHN) with a French accent – is still not only the strongest at his school, but also one of the strongest college football players in the country. That seventh grader is now a senior defensive lineman for SMU. He can now bench 500 pounds. His current record for reps of 225 pounds – a day after lifting, at that – is 42. He did it to end summer workouts this year. Only 11 players in the history of the NFL Combine have done more.

But Chatman is more than his strength. He was a second-team all-conference selection last season. In the last month or so he's been named to numerous watch lists. In addition, with his immense strength, and his 6-foot size, he was named to Bruce Feldman's annual "freaks list" in college football – an honor given to college football players who can bring something unique to the table.

"He's a guy, man," said SMU defensive line coach Calvin Thibodeaux, a longtime coach at Oklahoma prior. "There's just so much power."

And with great power, comes great potential: a narrative that's always followed the Baby Bison.

MORE

https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/smu-mustangs/2022/08/20/baby-bison-how-smus-elijah-chatmans-incredible-strength-sets-him-up-for-success/

DKitt
@dkit177
@CarlBanksGIII
 .   In your opinion, given the current roster with all the new additions, what style of play do you think we have to have in order to consistently win games?  Does it come down to the usual bylines...effective run game, play action pass on offense, and bend but don't break on defense?  Your opinion would be greatly appreciated.
12:56 PM · May 18, 2024
·
8,287
 Views


https://x.com/CarlBanksGIII/status/1791880377428058121

Former GM Mike Lombardi thinks the Giants is one of them.

I looked at the over/under odds for team wins.  Here is who Vegas thinks the worst

Carolina Panthers
Denver Broncos
New England Patriots

Beyond that, it's a massive tie (6.5 wins)

Arizona Cardinals
Las Vegas Raiders
Minnesota Vikings
New York Giants
Tennessee Titans
Washington Commanders

So who are your 4 worst teams?

$213.99  for  a hoodie



$93.99 for a polo shirt



Even a t-shirt is $79.99




Those prices are crazy.  Worse, if it's like any other Giants merch, it's not even of the highest quality.

https://shop.giants.com/new-york-giants-100th-season/t-13725680+c-8904644163+z-96-3612772062

It seems Carl Banks has had enough.  I know some of you will dismiss Carl Banks as a company stooge, but from my years of listening to him, Carl Banks calls it as he sees it.   He may not go heavy on the criticism as would be expected by someone who also works for the Giants (the Podcast is not a Giants sanctioned), but Carl doesn't act like the team's cheerleader, either. 

https://x.com/CarlBanksGIII/status/1791449243762270431


If you want more context and more comments, here is the entire podcast


Dear Toxic Giants Fans, Root for Daniel Jones

In this episode, Bob Papa and Carl Banks discuss a recent tweet from Bob that wasn't related to Daniel Jones and sparked backlash from Giants fans. They talk about why it's counterproductive for fans to root against Jones. They explore Daniel Jones's challenges over the years, highlighting the lack of stability from coaching and inadequate support on the field. By comparing the Giants' situation to other franchises, they shed light on why fans need to appreciate what this storied franchise has accomplished. Lastly, they touch on Hard Knocks' during this 100th season and how fans will see behind-the-scenes access during the off-season.  #tellafriendtotellafriend

Which is the toughest game the Giants have for 2024?

Who is the toughest/best player the Giants face in 2024?