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The New York Giants’ protection could have a brand new look and new perspective beneath just lately employed coordinator Shane Bowen.
Bowen, who held the identical place the previous few seasons with the Tennessee Titans, could have a strong base to work with, most notably defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence and inside linebacker Bobby Okereke.
Okereke, who led the Giants in tackles this season in his first 12 months with Massive Blue beneath coordinator Wink Martindale, was making the rounds on Radio Row on the Tremendous Bowl in Las Vegas this week. He told the New York Post that he and Bowen are already in contact.
“Had an amazing dialog with him,” Okereke stated on Friday. “I’m very excited.
“I’m excited, actually, how briskly we jelled based mostly on the dialog we had. We sat there and talked ball for about 10 minutes, speaking to him about my experiences, enjoying with Matt Eberflus within the Cowl-2 system, enjoying with Gus Bradley within the Cowl 3-system, and clearly enjoying with Wink within the blitz-man system. … Excited to immerse myself in what they do, what we do now. Simply excited to start out enjoying soccer once more.”
Okereke and Lawrence gained’t be the one items Bowen is inheriting. Cornerback Deonte Banks, outdoors linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux and fellow inside linebacker Micah McFadden are additionally in that group.
Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden have been the one two LB’s to have over 100 tackles, at the very least 10 TFL and be on the identical workforce. Probably the greatest LB duos within the NFL this 12 months. pic.twitter.com/SCGFI1bPnx
— Justin Penik (@JustinPenik) February 8, 2024
Okereke had the perfect season of his five-year NFL profession with a team-high 149 tackles and in addition set profession highs in passes defensed (10), compelled fumbles (4), sacks (2.5), tackles for loss (11) and quarterback hits (six) whereas enjoying each single defensive snap (1,128) for the Giants this 12 months.
Okereke will doubtless be requested to put on the headset once more subsequent season to name the defensive alerts. He acknowledges that Bowen’s system is way totally different than that of Martindale’s blitzing routine that he flourished in final 12 months. There will probably be modifications.
“We’re gonna simplify it. All people’s gonna know precisely what we’re gonna do. There’s not gonna be too many wrinkles. We’re gonna play very basically sound soccer,” Okereke stated. “We’ll in all probability run a very good little bit of 3-4, a very good little bit of 4-3, good little bit of quarters, a very good little bit of Cowl-2, Cowl-5, so we’re all excited.”
Okereke was requested if the modifications could be for the higher.
“I believe it is going to be an excellent factor,” Okereke stated. “That was my expertise my first couple of video games adjusting to the Wink system. I obtained to carry a variety of the instruments I realized in earlier methods and included it into Wink’s system. I believe everyone’s gonna undergo that very same adjustment and it’s gonna be significantly better type.
“Loads of the instruments, a variety of the elemental teachings we had from Wink, that’s ingrained in us, that’s a part of our toolbelt and now we will go incorporate it in a special protection with a special play fashion. It’s solely gonna assist.”
As for the rift between Martindale and head coach Brian Daboll, Okereke had this to say.
“Clearly knew there was some rigidity there,” Okereke stated. “You bought two alpha coaches, everybody’s not all the time going to get alongside.
“Undoubtedly wouldn’t have forecast it that Wink wouldn’t be our coach on the finish of the 12 months however very completely satisfied for him to get the Michigan job, and speaking to Shane, I’m very enthusiastic about it, so I believe all of it works out.”
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