USAT: Giants Wire audio clip

USAT: Giants Wire

Jan 23, 2022

The New York Giants have fallen off the map over the past decade, and that’s due in large part to their fierce loyalty to the old guard. They love familiarity, friends and family — something that has rotted the organization from the core. - It’s a sore subject for team co-owner John Mara, who vehemently denied nepotism exists in his year-end press conference. - “The perception [that family members aren’t held to accountability during this stretch] has been created by you and others,” Mara chided a reporter. “The reality is that in terms of my brother (Chris Mara), my brother spent the bulk of his time doing the evaluation of college players. His grades go into our system, and he participates in the draft. - “All personnel decisions in this building, and this has always been the case, have been made by the general manager and the head coach. When they agree on a decision, they come to me with it. As long as they are both in agreement, I okay it.” - Those comments came mere moments after Chris Mara had just sat in on a general manager interview. - Days later, Dan Duggan of The Athletic dropped an article that also seemed to refute John Mara’s view on things. Several former scouts and team employees remarked on Chris’ role and the authority he carries. - It didn’t sit well with some colleagues when Chris Mara, a partner in Starlight Racing, left the Giants’ war room during the third day of the 2015 draft to watch his horse run in the Kentucky Derby. New York made one pick during Mara’s flight to Louisville and another after he arrived at Churchill Downs. “Look, if we were in the first or second round today, I probably wouldn’t be here,” Mara told a Sports Illustrated reporter chronicling his double duty. - “Is that really your priority over what we’re doing here in the draft?” a former member of the front office said. “It’s something that all the other guys just couldn’t do.” - Chris doesn’t go on the road to scout college games during the fall. His in-person scouting is typically limited to postseason all-star games, the scouting combine and college pro days. According to multiple current members of the organization, he has been less hands-on in recent years. - “I think he figures, ‘[Expletive] it, I’ll come around when I want to,’” a former Giants coach said. “He’s not answering to anybody.” - But the hiring of Joe Schoen as general manager has given some hope. He was a legitimate outside guy with no direct ties to the organization, and he appears to be in control of the head coaching interviews. - In the mind of former NFL executive Joe Banner, who spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons, this is proof that the Giants have finally changed their way of doing business. - “The Giants did a better job of having no preconceived litmus tests and truly keeping it simple and just trying to find the person they thought was most likely to succeed. Previously they shrunk the pool with rules and biases. All indications are that they didn’t do that here,” Banner said, via The 33rd Team. - Banner isn’t exactly sure if Schoen is the right man for the job, but it’s at least one step in the right direction for the Giants. - “Teams can have a good process and still hire the wrong person because these are all projections and it’s a very different job description than what the applicants have been doing,” Banner added. - “Time will tell if the Giants hired the right person. But what isn’t in doubt is that they changed the approach to a process that provided a real chance to get it right.” - A major change in philosophy was legitimately the only chance the Giants had. So let’s hope Mara stays true to his word and out of the way of Schoen and his staff. - - List - - 2022 NFL draft: Giants select a new QB in full 7-round mock - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Email - - - - - Sign up - - - - - - - - Like this article? - Sign up for the Giants Wire email newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning - - - - An error has occured - - - Please re-enter your email address. - - - - - - Thanks for signing up! - - - You'll now receive the top Giants Wire stories each day directly in your inbox.

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