Report: Giants expected to hire Illinois assistant Grant Morgan
Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reports that the Giants are expected to hire Illinois assistant linebackers coach Grant Morgan.
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Morgan, 27, has spent the past two seasons with Illinois, first as a graduate assistant and then as the assistant linebackers coach.
Before joining the Fighting Illini, Morgan had a very brief cup of coffee in the NFL. He was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2022 and initially made their practice squad. However, he was released a day after their Week 1 loss to the Washington Commanders that year.
Morgan had a stellar career at Arkansas, earning First-Team All-SEC and Second-Team All-American honors in 2020. In 2021, he won the Burlsworth Trophy, given to the most outstanding FBS player who began his career as a walk-on.
In 58 career games at the college level, Morgan recorded 313 tackles (119 solo, 25 for a loss), one forced fumble, 4.5 sacks, 11 passes defensed, two interceptions, and one defensive touchdown.
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This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Report: Giants expected to hire Illinois assistant Grant Morgan
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Efton Chism III to trouble for Russell Wilson: NFL preseason storylines that actually matter
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It's Ole Miss concepts with pro gloss, designed to get Dart comfortable. The early returns have been promising. Dart does look comfortable in the pocket. He has been fine with the speed of the game. For a rookie starter, those are the first two boxes to check off. By making his offense as Dart-friendly as possible, Daboll has given the quarterback a platform to flash his arm talent. In his second outing, Dart didn't make as many 'wow' throws, but he showed a stronger grasp of the Giants' offense. Wilson, meanwhile, has been fine. Good in spurts. But he's the same old Russ we saw in Pittsburgh: capable of hitting beautiful strikes down the field, but limited in attacking the shorter and intermediate parts. With Dart in the lineup, the Giants can threaten every area of the field. He is a fearless deep-ball thrower and a genuine rushing threat, even if he's sometimes a danger to himself. The offense has also taken on a different rhythm with the rookie in the lineup. With Wilson under center, the Giants have looked mechanical and laborious. When Dart has taken over, the operation has been slicker, with Daboll ratcheting up the tempo. Running such a slim, up-tempo system won't be enough to navigate a full season, but it's enough of a starting point to chuck the rookie in until he can come to terms with a broader playbook. Daboll insists there is no competition. 'Russ is our starter. We're going to keep developing Jaxson,' Daboll said this week. That's understandable; Daboll wants to keep pressure off a first-year player and has a ready-made vet who could squeeze out a couple of wins until Dart can run a more sophisticated scheme. But Dart has shown enough in preseason that he should be chucked into the deep end for Week 1. The only reason to mess around with Wilson is to try to eke out a couple of wins so that the coaching staff and front office can keep their jobs. The Patriots' rookie class No, your eyes are not deceiving you. 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The injection of weapons is good news for Drake Maye, who was forced to throw to the weakest crop of receivers in the league as a rookie. Related: I played in the NFL. Outrage over male cheerleaders is really about attempts to control masculinity It's not just the receiving corps, either. If we're handing out preseason MVP awards, rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson would be near the top of the standings. Henderson was initially tabbed as a third-down specialist. He was a prolific receiver at Ohio State and the best pass-protecting running back in the rookie class. But Henderson has been given a full run with the offense in preseason, showing he can anchor the early-down run game, return kicks and add some juice to the passing attack. The Patriots needed their draft class to hit after last season's debacle, in which they ended the season 4-13. So far, so good this time around. Bills defense Buffalo spent the offseason fortifying their defensive line. But the preseason has exposed issues on the back end of the defense. The Bears roasted the Bills' backups in the second week of preseason, with three quarterbacks throwing for a combined 357 yards and two touchdowns. Being lit up by Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson is one thing; being shredded by Tyson Bagent and Austin Reed should set off a five-alarm fire. All over the league, teams look short at corner. The Eagles, Chiefs and other top contenders are scratching around for starters or backups in their secondary. But the Bills have three worries: who will start opposite Christian Benford at cornerback? What's the ideal safety tandem? Do they have enough depth? Sean McDermott is one of the league's best coaches when it comes to working with the secondary. He can find no-names and turn them into impactful starters. When McDermott starts grousing about a group, you know you're in trouble. And the coach has taken sporadic shots at his safety room throughout the preseason. That includes 2024 second-round pick Cole Bishop, who was slated to be a starter this season. 'Cole has missed quite a bit of time … It remains to be seen what he is truly able to do for us,' McDermott said after the Bears' trouncing. 'We're getting short on time.' There are concerns at cornerback, too. Rookie first-round pick Maxwell Hairston is dealing with an injury, pushing the returning Tre'Davious White into the starting lineup. Behind White, it's slim pickings. And at the safety spots, the Bills are relying on Bishop or Damar Hamlin to become consistent starters. For most teams, a secondary shortage would be a concern. For the Bills, it's borderline existential. Depth matters. The Bills played the fewest snaps in base defense last season (three linebackers) and led in their use of dime defense (six defensive backs). That's McDermott's vision for the defense. To hit those rates, the Bills need seven or eight reliable players in the secondary, given the potential for injuries and suspensions. Right now, they have one: Benford. Few teams are operating with as much urgency as Buffalo. Every year with Josh Allen in his prime is Super Bowl or bust. Last season, they were undone by a misfiring pass rush. They tried to address that in the offseason, but now look woefully short in the secondary. Isaac TeSlaa's breakout Lions general manager Brad Holmes has done it again. The Lions traded up to grab Arkansas wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa in the third round of the draft, taking him 98 spots before the consensus big board – a reliable indicator of draft value. Holmes and the Lions do things their own way, routinely selecting players a round or two before the consensus board has them slotted. On many of those picks, Holmes has been proven correct. 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