Shurmur with Mara and Tisch. #Giants #NYG @EliteSportsNY pic.twitter.com/Fe2QIvVXzb
— Jason Leach (@JasonKLeach) January 26, 2018
At first glance, it sounds like Pat Shurmur might just be the right guy for the job with the New York Giants.
Pat Shurmur was officially introduced as the New York Giants 18th head coach on Friday and you got the sense that positive change is in the air.
The press conference got off to an interesting start as the lights in the auditorium briefly went out for a few seconds as Shurmur began to speak.
When the lights came back on Shurmur thanked his family, Giants ownership, and the Minnesota Vikings, with whom he spent the last two seasons as offensive coordinator. He spoke about the type of coach he is and what it’s going to take to turn the Giants into contenders again.
He then answered questions and a few things become abundantly clear on how he intends to move forward.
Here’s what we learned from his press conference.
He’s excited to work with Eli Manning
Once the 2017 season ended, the speculation began on whether or not Eli Manning would be back with the team next season, and if the team would draft a quarterback with the second pick in the draft. But from what Shurmur said, he believes Manning could be the team’s quarterback in 2018 and beyond.
Shurmur says he's looking forward to working with Eli Manning @EliteSportsNY #NYG pic.twitter.com/KTMp0jQYHG
— Jason Leach (@JasonKLeach) January 26, 2018
“You know, I watched Eli throw a little bit this summer, and I walked away saying, ‘He looked really, really good.’ He looked fit. He was throwing the ball well. The ball had good velocity coming off his hand. And again, I think he’s got years left. How much, I don’t know. But I think he has time left, and I look forward to working with him. With regard to who we’re going to draft, you know, I’m not ducking that question. I think that we’ve got to travel down that road of evaluation to see what happens there. But I think what’s important is we have a guy here that’s helped this organization win Super Bowls. He’s an outstanding player, and I’m really looking forward to working with him.”
Although the draft is three months away you get the sense from Shurmur that drafting a quarterback is not a necessity, and that the Giants will use the second pick to fill another position of need.
He won’t tolerate lack of effort or respect
One of the most discouraging things about last season was the lack of effort shown by a few players and the infighting in the locker room. This is something that Shurmur will not tolerate.
“Those of you that do know me, though, I have zero tolerance for people that don’t compete. I have zero tolerance for people that don’t give effort, and I have zero tolerance for people that show a lack of respect. And I think that’s something that you’ll know about me as we get to know each other better.”
Based on Shurmur’s comments, you can rest assured that there won’t be any issues with a lack of effort or distractions in the locker room in 2018. If players don’t act accordingly they’ll find themselves on the bench—or playing for another team.
He’s all-in for rebuilding the offensive line
Shurmur didn’t try to deny that general manager Dave Gettleman‘s plan to rebuild the team’s offensive line was one of the things that attracted him to the job.
“As soon as he said, ‘Everything starts with the offensive line.’ And I think there’s a great example of that, what we went through in Minnesota. We didn’t change the oil up there, we changed the transmission. We went and got two free agent offensive linemen, we drafted a center that played like a veteran, and we transformed the offensive line that helped us do the things that helped us win 14 games. And so I think it’s very important, no matter how good your offensive line is and your defensive line, you have to address those issues constantly because if you can’t block them and you can’t pressure the quarterback, this game gets really, really, really hard. I know that about Dave. I know we have a serious mindset when it comes to doing what we can to upgrade in those areas. And some of it may be just inspiring a player on the roster to play better than he’s played, you know, and that comes back to coaching. And then we all know that every once in a while, you need to get some new players.”
Although we’re just a few days into the Pat Shurmur era, Giants fans should be happy with his straightforward approach and the experience he brings to the table. Ownership believes they’ve hired the right man and, after hearing his remarks, it’s hard not to agree.
