It looks as if the Giants and Pat Shurmur will have to see if they can pry Duce loose.
Shurmur wanted to interview and, presumably, hire Kevin Stefanski as the Giants’ new offensive coordinator, but the Vikings denied permission Saturday, ESPN reported. That means Stefanski stays in Minnesota, and Shurmur will likely next turn to Duce Staley, coming off a glorious Super Bowl victory as the Eagles’ running backs coach. Darrell Bevell, the former Seahawks offensive coordinator, also could be a candidate for Shurmur to consider.
The Vikings hired John DeFilippo as their new offensive coordinator Friday, a vacancy created when Shurmur became the Giants’ head coach. Clearly, both Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer and DeFilippo value Stefanski enough to block his promotion with the Giants. Stefanski is under contract with the Vikings, thus they can, and did, block this move. Stefanski, 35, is their longest-tenured coach, spending 12 years in the organization.
Shurmur and Stefanski know each other from two stops along the NFL coaching trail. In 2005, Shurmur was the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach when Stefanski got his start as an operations assistant in Philadelphia. For the past two years, Shurmur and Stefanski worked together on Zimmer’s offensive staff with the Vikings.
Shurmur also has a history with Staley — Shurmur was the Eagles’ offensive coordinator from 2013-15 when Staley was the running backs coach. Staley, 42, is highly regarded in Philadelphia, where he played a role not only in developing the running backs but also in the entire running-game operation. He has never before been a play-caller, but Shurmur said he will call the plays on offense, meaning his offensive coordinator does not have to take on that demanding responsibility.
There is one possible roadblock to the Giants getting Staley. If Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich is hired as the Colts’ head coach, Doug Pederson could elevate Staley to the offensive coordinator role in Philly — where Staley played at running back from 1997-2003 and remains very popular.
Shurmur is trying to put the finishing touches on his staff — he still needs an offensive coordinator and a quarterbacks coach. He hired James Bettcher from the Cardinals to run the defense and Thomas McGaughey from the Panthers to run special teams. McGaughey had been with the Giants from 2007-10 as a special teams assistant on Tom Coughlin’s staff.