Ben McAdoo talks middle linebacker, offensive line, and the infamous boat trip at NFL Annual Meeting
New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo adopted a Belichick-like manner with the media during his first season at the helm. His answers were often direct and to the point, never spending more time talking than what was required.
McAdoo departed from this manner of dealing with questions…sort of. He spoke with media for more than an hour at the NFL Annual Meeting in Phoenix. McAdoo touched on a variety of topics, not without what are becoming known as McAdooisms.
McAdoo was asked about the middle linebacker position. He mentioned Keenan Robinson and B.J. Goodson as players who will be in the middle of the Giants defense in 2017.
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Robinson, who re-signed last week, played the second-most snaps on the team at the linebacker position behind Jonathan Casillas. Goodson was a 2016 fourth-round draft pick out of Clemson who didn’t see much playing time. His size and speed made the team want to use him more.
McAdoo also mentioned “a variety of players could factor into the equation”: a textbook McAdooism.
It can be inferred the Giants plan on using multiple players at the position. Goodson could play in base packages while Robinson could be used in sub packages. Kelvin Sheppard played 2016 primarily in base packages but he is still unsigned.
McAdoo also spoke on the elephant in the room: the offensive line.
They signed free agent D.J. Fluker, who can play left guard, right guard, or right tackle. Ereck Flowers, a much maligned first-round pick from ’15, is still the left tackle. Both McAdoo and co-owner John Mara spent part of the week stroking Flowers’ ego. McAdoo hinted that left guard Justin Pugh could be moved but wouldn’t commit to it.
“Too early to say,” he said. Another McAdooism.
The Giants signed fullback/tight end Rhett Ellison. There is no fullback currently on the Giants’ roster. McAdoo sees him as a “tight end who has fullback qualities to him”.
“It adds an element any time you have a fullback type in the backfield; it adds an element of physicality. It’s tough to replace when you don’t have it. It just didn’t work out last season. It’s not by design. I hear that I don’t want to have a fullback on the roster. That is news to me.”
The Giants had Nikita Whitlock and Will Johnson last season. Both players suffered season-ending injuries. Ellison solves the problem of having a fullback as well as a blocking tight end.
McAdoo also talked about using wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. more in the punt return game. Beckham’s speed makes him a threat to put up points every time the ball is in his hands. He returned 10 punts in 2016, including one returned for a 59-yard touchdown against the Cleveland Browns. The touchdown was negated by an offensive holding penalty.
Speaking of wide receivers, McAdoo was inevitably asked about the infamous trip to Miami after the regular season finale. He saved his best McAdooisms for this.
“When we’re in the building, we say yes to football. When we’re not in the building, we need to do a better job of saying no to the things that don’t align with our goal, reaching our goal.”
McAdoo repeated it three times. One of the reporters responded that his answer could be interpreted as having nothing to do with the boat trip.
“You can interpret that any way you want,” he said. “It doesn’t matter to me one bit.”
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