Wink Martindale Is Heading To The New York Giants

Wink Martindale Has A New Job

Wink Martindale has found a new home. Reports are just surfacing that the New York Giants are hiring the longtime Baltimore Ravens Defensive Coordinator. This move comes after former DC Patrick Graham accepted a job on the Las Vegas Raiders coaching staff. It is quite a change of scenery for Martindale, after spending 10 seasons in Baltimore and the last 4 as Defensive Coordinator.

Martindale is no doubt a guy to respect. He won the Super Bowl in Baltimore and was in charge of a Top-5 defense not long ago. One can certainly argue, however, that a change would help. The Ravens finished the season 8-9 amid an unprecedented collection of injuries. The secondary, in particular, was beaten to a pulp during the season. Both starting corners in Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey suffered season-ending knee injuries. The defense gave up 82 points in 2 games against their division rival Cincinnati Bengals.

A Good Hire For Big Blue

The Giants needed experienced coaching staff. And so far, that is exactly what they’ve gotten this offseason. Brian Daboll was one of the minds behind Josh Allen’s rise to stardom in Buffalo. OC Mike Kafka has spent a considerable amount of time working with Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City. In Martindale, the Giants are hoping for similar results. It was only 2 short years ago that Martindale was at the helm of a terrific defense which helped the Ravens to a 14-2 regular-season record. The Maras sure seem intent on not making the same mistakes they made with Joe Judge.

Seeing Patrick Graham go is a tough pill to swallow. After coaching the Gmen to a Top 10 defense last season, a departure was more than possible. However, replacing Graham with an experienced and most successful DC in Wink should provide benefits. Many Giants fans will be hoping that he can use the same pieces and return this team to more success.

Finally A Glimmer of Hope?

Surprisingly, there is plenty to like about this defense. Xavier McKinney made a big jump in Year 2. Dexter Lawrence is young and solid at defensive tackle. Cap issues aside, James Bradberry and Leonard Williams are former Pro Bowlers. Furthermore, with 2 picks in the Top 7 of this year’s draft, new GM Joe Schoen could even look to add another young piece to this defense.

Wink Martindale now has a new project ahead. After a largely successful career in Baltimore, the veteran DC now has more of a rebuild to start with. Finally, things may soon start looking up for the Giants. Wink joins many other coaches and coordinators who have found new jobs in the NFL. At face value, the move looks like a success. However, as with anything else in the NFL, time will always tell.