Giants name six captains for 2020, including five in the role for the first time

 

https://twitter.com/Giants/status/1303367294769270786?s=20

Saquon Barkley #26 of the Giants takes a hand off from Daniel Jones #8 during a scrimmage at MetLife Stadium on Thursday, Sep. 3, 2020. Credit: Jim McIsaac

 

By Tom Rock

tom.rock@newsday.com  @TomRock_Newsday

September 8, 2020 1:23 PM

 

In yet another illustration of the fresh start this season seems to provide, the Giants elected six captains for 2020 and only one of them has served in that role in the past.

That would be Saquon Barkley, who was an offensive captain last year. He and quarterback Daniel Jones will represent the offense.

The defensive captains are linebacker Blake Martinez and defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson. Martinez is in his first season with the Giants. Tomlinson is the first defensive lineman to be named Giants captain since Justin Tuck.

Jabrill Peppers and Nate Ebner were named special teams captains. Ebner was signed as a free agent from the Patriots and is in his first season with the Giants. Peppers is a starting safety for the defense, but his title on special teams indicates the larger role he figures to play in that area.

Ebner, 31, is the only captain older than 26. The average age of the six captains is 25.3.

Ansley: Vols' Brumbaugh one of nation's best D-line coaches

 

ByWES RUCKER 21 hours ago (September 1, 2020)

 

When Tennessee needed a new defensive line coach, there was one name above the rest on Derrick Ansley’s wish list.

 

He wanted Jimmy Brumbaugh.

Tennessee’s defensive coordinator worked with Brumbaugh for three seasons at Kentucky before the duo took the next steps in their coaching careers — Ansley to Alabama and then the Oakland Raiders, Brumbaugh to Maryland and then Colorado — and he wanted to reunite with him in Knoxville.

Fortunately for Ansley, boss Jeremy Pruitt also had a high opinion of Brumbaugh, and Brumbaugh didn’t hesitate to make the move.

Vols defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh (Photo: Wes Rucker, 247Sports)

 

Ansley certainly got what he wanted.

“I think Jimmy Brumbaugh is one of the best defensive line coaches in the country,” Ansley said during a recent videoconference call with reporters. “Obviously me and him worked together at Kentucky for three years and we’ve been knowing each other all the way back to his college days at Auburn and my days at Troy. I think he’s very technically sound, very detail-oriented, very meticulous in his approach.

 

“He has a drill for everything that they need to do up front. Has video evidence to back that up with his coaching. Kids like that. They like immediate feedback. They like knowing different ways to do different things.

 

“I think he’s gonna be a really good fit and add a lot of value to those guys up front.”

Brumbaugh seems to have made an impression on his new players, as well.

Senior defensive lineman Matthew Butler said Brumbaugh had already done serious research on his game before he met his new position coach.

 

“His second day after he introduced himself and kind of we got to know each other, I want to say he pulled up the Georgia game,” Butler said last week. “And with all due respect to a formidable opponent in Georgia, we could have done some things differently in that game so that it would have a different outcome. He pointed out some things that maybe may have been overlooked, things that could have changed the game, that could have really impacted the game, just with a few details. That kind of shows that he had already watched the game and went through it with a fine comb.

 

“That’s pretty impressive from a player-to-coach standpoint, and it’s also good to hear that you can improve.”

 

Butler said he and the rest of his veteran-laden group has enjoyed working and being challenged by Brumbaugh on a daily basis.

 

“Even before the spring ball started, this was a guy who was meticulous about the details,” Butler said. “He knows his stuff. He’s coached plenty of good football players on plenty of good football teams. He knows his stuff. He’s very meticulous about the details. He didn’t vary from that at all. He came to us and he told us how he was gonna be, and he’s been consistent with that. How he is, he’s drilling in the details.

 

“In fact, he texted all of us a few moments ago just with a couple of clips (of film) for us to look at going into meetings and practice and whatnot. He cares about us, cares about the game, and like I said, and I really couldn’t overemphasize it enough, very meticulous about the details.

“Coach Brumbaugh has been on us hard, on us about the details, and every day we take it in stride and become better and better than we were the (previous) day. We have guys who listen, who retain instruction and are getting better because of the coaching, getting better because of the experience. It’s been good.”

Chiefs LB Ben Niemann's football IQ makes him a candidate for more playtime

 

Charles Goldman 

August 31, 2020 4:24 pm

 

Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Ben Niemann is slated for more playing time on defense in 2020. During the 2019 season, Niemann played a subpackage role on defense as the dime linebacker for Kansas City. He was also a core special teams player for the team.

Entering the 2020 season, Niemann seems likely to earn playtime as the starting WILL linebacker in addition to his role as the dime linebacker and his responsibilities on special teams. So, what has given the coaching staff the confidence to give Niemann an opportunity at a bigger role during the upcoming season? He’s become stronger in his third year, but the one common thing pointed out by Andy Reid, Steve Spagnuolo and Matt House is Niemann’s football smarts.

“If you had to say one thing that makes him a candidate, it would be from the chin to the hairline—a very intelligent football player,” Spagnuolo told reporters on Monday. “We all know his dad’s a football coach and played at Iowa and all that, but I’ve got a great deal of respect for Ben. He’s a true pro. He knows everything we put in. He’s a great communicator, he’s become a great communicator. I’ve got great confidence in him and Hitch (Anthony Hitchens) when we put them in front of the huddle and when they break the huddle and have to make adjustments. And I would tell you this, I think Ben moves around a lot better than people give him credit for. I mean, he’s tall and all that, but I still think he’s a really good knee-bender, that’s why we put him out in pass coverage, and I’m looking forward to watching Ben play some football this fall.”

Niemann’s father Jay is the assistant defensive line coach for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Growing up as part of a football family certainly helps when it comes to mastering the finer aspects of the game.

Niemann is certainly displaying more comfort and confidence in the system in his second year as Spagnuolo indicates. That comfort level seems to allow him to put his football IQ to the test, communicate with his defensive teammates, and play fast.

“I think just being in the second year in the Spags (Steve Spagnuolo) system I feel more comfortable,” Niemann told reporters. “In college, I didn’t play in the box, I wasn’t an in the box linebacker. My rookie year we ran a 3-4 scheme which was totally different, night and day than what we’re in now. Last year and this year have kind of been my first two years in my experience as a true inside 4-3 linebacker, so I think just being more comfortable in the scheme.”

The Chiefs’ linebacker coach, Matt House, also appreciates the acumen with which Niemann sees the game of football. He also noted his flexibility, non-literal as opposed to Spagnuolo’s knee-bending comment. Niemann is able to play a lot of different positions for the Chiefs and do so successfully, which makes him that much more valuable to the team.

“Ben’s just got a good feel for the game,” House said. “He sees the game from a wide, wide lens and that definitely helps you. The more flexibility you have, the more you can get a guy ready with limited reps, which helps too.”

Going back to the common thread of Niemann’s smarts — he spent the offseason preparing and learning as many different spots on the defense as possible. That way Niemann could be prepared for whatever the coaching staff threw at him come training camp.

“I mean just getting into my book, learn as many spots as possible, so I can plugin and play wherever they need me to,” Niemann said. “You know, line up shuffle, things change, guys come in, guys leave, guys get hurt so just being able to plug and play kind of wherever and this offseason just tried to attack everything in terms of working out the playbook and all that.”

Between the mastery of the playbook and Niemann’s unique feel for the game, the coaching staff sees a player ready for more work, responsibility and opportunity within the defense. It’ll be up to him to seize that opportunity, put his football IQ to work and make the most of it when the Chiefs open the season next week.