Getty The Giants have hired former three-time Pro Bowl linebacker Bryan Cox to be their assistant defensive line coach.
Brian Daboll’s first staff as head coach of the New York Giants is filling out nicely.
On Tuesday, February 16, the team announced that they were adding former three-time Pro Bowl linebacker Bryan Cox as their assistant defensive line coach to Andre Patterson. They also hired Kevin Wilkins to serve as a defensive assistant, which is the same role he previously held under defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale with the Baltimore Ravens.
Cox, 54, spent three seasons as the Atlanta Falcons‘ defensive line coach from 2014 to 2016. He has not coached in the NFL since getting fired by the Falcons following their Super Bowl LI loss to the New England Patriots in February of 2017.
Cox began his coaching career with the New York Jets, joining Eric Mangini’s staff in 2006. Cox was the Jets’ assistant defensive line coach for three seasons, before following Mangini to Cleveland to serve in the same role with the Browns.
After Mangini was fired by the Browns following the 2010 season, Cox became the pass rush coach for his ex-team in the Miami Dolphins in 2011. Cox was picked up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers shortly afterwards to be their defensive line coach for the next two seasons from 2012 to 2013.
As for Wilkins, he was hired by the Ravens as a video intern in 2015, which was his role for two years until being promoted to video operations coordinator. Wilkins began doing special projects for the Ravens defense in 2019, which led to him becoming a defensive assistant in Baltimore prior to last season.
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Cox’s Credibility
Although Cox has not coached in five seasons, he will arrive to the Giants organization with instant credibility as a result of his impressive playing career.
Cox was a three-time Pro Bowl linebacker and played for the Dolphins, Bears, Jets, Patriots and Saints across 12 seasons from 1991 to 2002.
As a fifth-round pick of the Dolphins in the 1991 NFL Draft, Cox quickly proved to be a steal for Miami. During his sophomore campaign, Cox became a breakout star with 127 total tackles, 14 sacks and five forced fumbles. This earned him the honor of first-team All-Pro and sent him to the Pro Bowl as well.
The Illinois native went onto record 939 tackles, 51.5 sacks, four interceptions and 22 forced fumbles in his career. He was also a member of the Patriots team that captured Super Bowl XXXVI, which kicked off their first of two dynasties in the Tom-Brady-Bill Belichick era.
Bad Apple
Before cornerback Eli Apple surrendered the game-winning touchdown catch in Super Bowl LVI on February 13, he was once the No. 10 overall selection by the Giants in the 2016 NFL Draft.
But after a promising rookie season spent on a dominant defense, Apple apparently felt like he had it all figured out. Prior to the 2017 campaign, Apple got a new teammate in six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Brandon Marshall.
Marshall, who is now a panelist on Showtime’s “Inside the NFL,” shared his experience in facing Apple everyday in practice during the lone season they spent together with the Giants. And although Marshall tried to school the youngster, Apple was having none of it.
“Do you know how many times I practiced against Eli Apple and said, ‘Bro, going against a number one receiver, if you give us the outside release, it’s the easiest thing in the world.’ I used to argue with him every single day playing with the Giants like, ‘Man, I’m trying to help you,’” Marshall said, via Art Stapleton of USA TODAY.
“This is a history lesson on humility. Keep your mouth shut, play ball. Then you go to the Super Bowl and you have a couple of penalties, give up a couple touchdowns. You can’t do that. You need to listen to the vets. So all the other young people watching — learn from Eli Apple.”
While playing for the eventual AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals, Apple spent a majority of the NFL playoffs talking trash on social media to his ex-fanbases in the Giants and Saints. However, his words ultimately came back to bite him as the end result was committing a crucial penalty late in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl, before allowing Cooper Kupp to score the game-winning touchdown against him.