ESPN analyst Rex Ryan believes the New York Giants will be an immediate playoff team under new head coach John Harbaugh.
Rex Ryan Praises Giants & John Harbaugh
It took longer than expected, but
Harbaugh, who was let go by the Baltimore Ravens after 18 seasons, inherits a Giants team coming off a disastrous 4-13 season.
The team is much better than its record indicates. The Giants blew multiple fourth-quarter leads this season to lose embarrassingly.
The Giants also have a roster with many key positions filled, including quarterback (Jaxson Dart), left tackle (Andrew Thomas), wide receiver (Malik Nabers), and defensive line (Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence, and Abdul Carter).
If Harbaugh can clean up many of the mistakes the team made down the stretch, the Giants could surprise many people.
On ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown, Ryan approved of the hiring and explained how Harbaugh will have the Giants in the playoffs next season.
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“This team right here is so talented,” Ryan explained. “If you go in to build an organization, you want to have a franchise-type quarterback [Dart]. We’ll see. I think they might have one right there. You want a franchise left tackle [Thomas] to protect that quarterback. Check that box. You want a franchise No. 1 receiver [Nabers]. You can check that box. And by the way, you’ve got five guys who can absolutely rush the passer [Brian Burns, Carter, etc.]. You put the right guy in that situation, they may go to No. 1 in the league in defense.”
Harbaugh bringing a team to the playoffs in his first season would not be unprecedented.
“To me, I think absolutely this is a playoff team,” Ryan added. “Look, John Harbaugh, his first year [2008 with Baltimore], rookie head coach, had a rookie quarterback, and went to a championship game his first season. That’s happened, I think, five times in the history of the NFL.”
Ryan also mentioned that he made the postseason as a rookie head coach with a rookie quarterback the following season with the New York Jets.
Giants Hire John Harbaugh
Harbaugh and the Giants took their time dotting their i’s and crossing their t’s. After a few days of negotiations, Harbaugh agreed to a five-year contract this past Saturday.
The deal is worth $20 million per season.
The Giants moved quickly to hire Harbaugh, whom the Ravens fired after a season-ending loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Harbaugh spoke with the Giants, Atlanta Falcons, and Tennessee Titans. However, Harbaugh only met in person with the Giants.
Harbaugh is the exact type of disciplinarian and developer the Giants need to execute a complete culture reset. Harbaugh went 180-113 with the Ravens, culminating with a win in Super Bowl XLVII.