Change is looming. It’s the inevitable end to every season and no team is immune. Come Black Monday, there will be firings and departures league-wide, and several of those could impact the New York Giants.
There’s been increasing speculation about the futures of defensive coordinator Wink Martindale and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. And although both expect to be back, that doesn’t mean they will be.
If the Giants were to fire Martindale or embrace some sort of mutual parting of ways, the defense would be thrust into yet another rebuild. The current personnel was compiled to specifically fit Wink’s scheme and that would need to be undone.
For Pro Bowl nose tackle Dexter Lawrence, that would be heartbreaking — from both a human standpoint and a football standpoint.
“It sucks learning a new scheme, if that is what happens,” Lawrence told reporters on Thursday. “So that probably would be the most heartbreaking thing, honestly, and him being just a good leader of men. Things like that would probably be the hardest thing to go about.”
One assistant who will almost certainly be back barring a promotion elsewhere is defensive line coach Andre Patterson, who is arguably the best in the business.
Lawrence credits Patterson with helping to take his game to the next level.
“He’s helped me craft things that I didn’t know I had or knew how to use. He helped me get into positions that usually when I get in, I get stuck or something. He’s been a big help. That’s my guy,” Lawrence said. “He’s just a coach of coaches, honestly. A ton of respect to him and how he just gets me to play and the whole d-line to play. He just knows how to relate to his players and gets us to go.”
Ultimately, Lawrence wants the combination of Martindale and Patterson to remain in place for the good of the team and his development individually.
“(Martindale) puts plays together to put me into some positions to win, and that’s kind of what his job is. Coach Dre’s job is to help me fight through those positions, to beat guys and things like that. Wink, he’s helped me a lot and he’s been scheming up things pretty well,” Lawrence said.
We’ll see if Lawrence gets his wish come Monday.
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