Replacing Don ‘Wink’ Martindale as defensive coordinator isn’t going to be easy for the New York Giants. He was a popular play-caller, but former kicker Lawrence Tynes thinks Kansas City Chiefs’ secondary coach Dave Merritt can replace Martindale.
Merritt’s won four Super Bowls as an assistant, including two with the Giants. Tynes applauded Merritt for doing a “remarkable” job “developing young talent.”
Merritt still works under Chiefs’ DC Steve Spagnuolo, who helped the Giants win Super Bowl 42 in the same capacity. It was the first of two Super Bowl victories in four years, and Tynes noted how “Dave was with us in NY on both Super Bowl teams.”
Giving Merritt his chance as a first-time coordinator could help the Giants strike gold. The same way they did when they hired Spagnuolo back in 2007.
The Giants need to reach out to Dave Merritt for DC position. What he has done with the Chiefs secondary and developing young talent is remarkable.
Dave and Spags have been together for many years between NY and KC and Dave was with us in NY on both Super Bowl teams. pic.twitter.com/fjvJN1Mg3P
— Lawrence Tynes (@lt4kicks) January 24, 2024
It would also help head coach Brian Daboll move on from his ugly falling out with Martindale.
Dave Merritt Has a Track Record Giants Should Love
So many years working for Spagnuolo is an excellent endorsement for Merritt. The two helped devise a game plan that allowed the Giants to batter and baffle Tom Brady and the 18-0 New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.
Since then, the Spags and Merritt combination has helped the Chiefs lift the Lombardi Trophy twice. Merritt’s played a key role developing a versatile defensive backfield that helped the Chiefs rank second in points and yards allowed.
The play of cornerbacks L’Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie has been a driving force behind the success. Merritt has turned Sneed into a true shutdown corner who led the NFL in forced incompletions during the regular season, per Pro Football Focus.
L'Jarius Sneed among AFC corners:
🔴 570 coverage snaps with 0 TDs allowed (1st)
🟡 17 forced incompletions (1st)
🔴 55.9 passer rating allowed (3rd) pic.twitter.com/mnCTZkeE4C— PFF (@PFF) January 6, 2024
McDuffie wasn’t quite as stingy in coverage but he developed a niche for the blitz. The player selected 21st overall in the 2022 NFL draft blitzed 54 times, logged three sacks and recorded 14 pressures, according to Pro Football Reference.
Merritt’s coaching has made McDuffie an enforcer. He showed off his appetite for destruction with this hit on Tyreek Hill against the Miami Dolphins in the Wild-Card Round, highlighted by NFL Network.
.@trent_mcduffie out here playing sound football 🏈👏@NFLTotalAccess | @Chiefs pic.twitter.com/aYXbqdjegE
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) January 19, 2024
McDuffie’s progress on Merritt’s watch would be a good barometer of what the coach could do for Deonte Banks. The Giants’ top draft pick a year ago impressed at times, despite often being isolated in Martindale’s aggressive schemes.
Banks is a terrific athlete who can handle the responsibilities of man coverage. Like for this play against the Green Bay Packers in Week 14, highlighted by Bobby Skinner of Talkin’ Giants.
Deonte Banks 🏦 pic.twitter.com/CSm7fRCkLB
— Bobby Skinner (@BobbySkinner_) December 12, 2023
Merritt would play a key role in developing Banks further, but he’d also possibly salvage something from Tre Hawkins III. The sixth-round pick in 2023 was a preseason favorite, who went on to make just three starts.
Hawkins’ lack of involvement contrasts with that of Chiefs fourth-rounder Chamarri Conner. The latter earned praise from USA Today’s Doug Farrar as “yet another young defensive back who’s getting it done.”
The Chiefs have yet another young defensive back who's getting it done. Safety/slot Chamarri Conner, a fourth-round rookie from Virginia Tech, coming down from a two-high look, working the scramble rules to pick Josh Allen. pic.twitter.com/9lMmImIfJ0
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) January 24, 2024
Merritt running the defense would improve a secondary also featuring useful safety Jason Pinnock. Getting the defensive backfield up to the same level as a loaded front would let the Giants field one of the league’s toughest units in 2024.
That’s the best way to put a line under the saga involving Martindale and Daboll.
Giants Need Smart Response to Wink Martindale Exit
Martindale already being approached by NFC East rivals the Philadelphia Eagles is a reminder the bad taste left by his abrupt exit isn’t going away. The Giants and Martindale parted company amid the coordinator clashing with Daboll.
Their feud was borne out of differences in coaching styles, according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic. He detailed how Martindale “prides himself on his composure” and “didn’t appreciate the change to Daboll’s style,” one more volatile and extrovert.
As Duggan put it, “Martindale isn’t the type to quietly endure something he doesn’t like. So there were the snide comments in meetings and the public allusions to his preferred coaching style.”
The whole thing has been a bad look for the Giants, but particularly Daboll. He needs to make a smart hire to quiet questions raised by his falling out with more than one key assistant.
Merritt qualifies as a smart hire, provided the Giants could persuade him to leave KC. He’s “made it clear he’s favored stability in his professional career while his children have been growing up,” according to Matt Derrick of Chiefs Digest.
Dave Merritt has made it clear he’s favored stability in his professional career while his children have been growing up. He preferred staying in one place over job hopping to move up the corporate ladder. As soon as he’s ready to be a DC, he should be one immediately. https://t.co/ZwEZ7J0IGS
— Matt Derrick (@mattderrick) January 21, 2024
Getting a first chance to be a coordinator, in a place he already knows well, might change Merritt’s mind. It’s surely worth a conversation for Daboll and the Giants.
