Giants can finalize coaching staff, so who will be offensive coordinator?

Now that the Super Bowl — and the 2017 season — are over, New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmur can officially put together his staff of assistant coaches. We already know who most of those coaches are going to be, with offensive coordinator being the biggest remaining question.

There are three widely-discussed candidates to become Shurmur’s offensive coordinator — Kevin Stefanski, Duce Staley, and Darrell Bevell. Let’s look at each.

Kevin Stefanski

Stefanski has spent his entire NFL coaching career, which began in 2006, with the Minnesota Vikings. He has coached tight ends, running backs, and quarterbacks. The 35-year-old worked closely with Shurmur the past two seasons.

Stefanski is a candidate to replace Shumur in Minnesota, thus taking over play-calling responsibility. Since it is the only NFL team he has ever worked for, it would make sense that Stefanski would like to stay there if he is offered the OC job. If he isn’t, a move to OC with Shurmur — even without play-calling duties — would be a logical step forward.

Will Shurmur and the Giants wait for the Vikings to decide, or will they lose patience and make a move to someone other than Stefanski? That may depend on how badly Shurmur wants the young Vikings’ assistant.

Duce Staley

Shurmur said recently that some of the coaches he was interested in were “not quite available.” At the time, only coaches from the Eagles and Patriots were not available because their teams were still playing. Well, the season is over so that no longer applies.

Staley played for the Eagles and has been on the coaching staff since 2011, serving as running backs coach since 2013. He worked with Shurmur for three season in Philly, so there is an obvious connection.

Staley, 42, has never called plays or been an offensive coordinator to a move to OC with the Giants would advance his career. Perhaps the one weakness on his resume in terms of the Giants’ job is that he has never worked with quarterbacks.

Darrell Bevell

The former Seattle Seahawks’ offensive coordinator has been — surprisingly — connected to the Giants’ job in recent days. First, there is no obvious prior working relationship between Bevell and Shurmur. Second, Bevell has been running his own offense and calling his own plays since 2006 (as offensive coordinator with the Minnesota Vikings from 2006-2010 and with the Seahawks from 2011-2017). Shurmur will call the plays for the Giants, and the offense will be his. Being a coordinator who doesn’t design the offense or call the plays would not seem to be Bevell’s first choice. With opportunities around the league drying up, though, that role could be his only option.

Bevell is also reportedly a candidate for the offensive coordinator jobs with the Indianapolis Colts and the Vikings. In Indianapolis Josh McDaniels is expected to be the head coach and the leading voice on offense. In Minnesota, Bevell would replace Shurmur.

Bevell, 48, is known for calling the pass play from the 1-yard line in Super Bowl XLIX that resulted in an interception and a 28-24 Seahawks’ loss to the New England Patriots. The Seahawks, of course, had the powerful Marshawn Lynch at running back.

[UPDATE 3:51 P.M. ET: The Sporting News is reporting that Deshea Townsend is being hired as assistant defensive backs coach and Ben Wilkerson is being named assistant offensive line coach.]

The staff

Offensive coordinator —
Quarterbacks —
Running backs — Craig Johnson
Tight ends — Lunda Wells
Wide receivers — Tyke Tolbert
Offensive line — Hal Hunter
Assistant offensive line — Ben Wilkerson
Defensive coordinator — James Bettcher
Defensive line — Gary Emanuel
Linebackers — Bill McGovern
Defensive backs — Lou Anarumo
Assistant defensive backs — Deshea Townsend
Special teams coordinator — Thomas McGaughey
Assistant special teams — Anthony Blevins