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The Giants spent five long years trying to improve their offensive line – then fired the coach from the position just as it was starting to happen.
Weeks of strategy and teaching wrangling boiled over when Joe Judge fired offensive line coach Marc Colombo and hired replacement Dave DeGuglielmo from outside the organization. The unusual in-season move created immediate unease at a chemistry-dependent position disrupted by reduced training time, in-game player rotation and now a change of coach.
Because the judge and Colombo argued over the technique, will DeGuglielmo force major changes on the linemen?
“We are not going to do anything to reverse the offensive,” the judge said in his first comments since the change. “There will be some tweaking here and there. With six weeks to the end of the season, there will be a lot of continuity that we’re looking to keep in place and keep improving.
The judge informed Colombo of his intention to add DeGuglielmo as an offensive consultant last Tuesday. A curse-filled verbal confrontation ensued (in which Colombo used a particularly nasty term), the two sides walked away and Colombo was fired from the facility on Wednesday morning.
Colombo was arrested at the parking lot gate and a misunderstanding arose in which he thought he was being escorted to meet the judge but was sent back inside by security, sources told the Post. The Giants leadership would have liked her to be treated that way to avoid another altercation.
Line improvement has been owner John Mara’s No.1 goal on the field since the end of the Tom Coughlin era. Rookie left tackle Andrew Thomas’s last three games have been his best, and the rushing offense is averaging 4.9 yards per carry over the past five games.
“The decision we made was in the best interests of the New York Giants,” said Judge, “both short and long term.”
The judge said there had been “a lot of misinformation” but did not refute specific details.
“I think it makes sense for people to… understand what’s going on and what’s not really happening in a business setting and an office building,” Judge said. “It was a professional decision.”
The judge is said to have played a bigger role with the offensive line in recent practices, but sources said it wasn’t too noticeable other than a stop to correct technique from center Nick Gates which led to an argument between the judge and Colombo in front of the team. . This was seen as insubordination, akin to how the addition of DeGuglielmo was interpreted to undermine Colombo’s authority.
“I have no problem at any time stepping in and talking to a post,” the judge said. “That being said, I let my coaches train.
While most of Judge’s staff are former coworkers or friends of friends, Colombo came with offensive coordinator Jason Garrett of the Dallas Cowboys. What impact will Garrett’s approved Colombo dismissal be on the judge-Garrett relationship?
“We’re all professionals here,” Judge said. “We all have a goal in terms of team improvement. There was no effect on this nature. I feel good to be moving forward with everyone.
An NFL Network report suggested that Judge and a few other former New England Patriots assistants on staff “exude an alarming aura of height” by arguing that their path was the best.
“The idea that we care about everywhere else we’ve been… everyone has experiences that you draw on. That would be all, ”said the judge. “There is no division or internal struggle or anything else referenced here that anyone is trying to create. It couldn’t be further from the truth.
Tight end Evan Engram and defensive lineman Leonard Williams – the only players available to media on Monday – have expressed surprise at the midseason change. The judge did not wait until the end of the week off to address the uncertainty with the players, setting up individual, group and team meetings.
DeGuglielmo left the NFL at the start of three of the past eight seasons. He was an in-season replacement for the Miami Dolphins in 2017, but he was fired by two of Judge’s friends – Bill Belichick and Brian Flores – and five of his last six saves have only lasted a year.
DeGuglielmo is known in league circles for having a sugar free personality. That’s no problem for Judge, who saw DeGuglielmo in action with the Patriots in 2014-15, when they spun young linemen like the Giants do.
“I’ve made moves as a player and a coach where there have been transitions in the season,” said Judge. “The most important thing is to continue to follow the direction of the head coach and believe that a plan is in place.”
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