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Don ‘Wink’ Martindale didn’t like it when safety Xavier McKinney criticized coaches publicly, but the New York Giants’ defensive coordinator will like it even less if he loses one of his most consistent starters during 2024 NFL free agency.
Despite the controversy his comments caused earlier this season, outspoken McKinney is a pending free agent who has boosted his stock ahead of next March. That’s according to Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus, who outlined how McKinney, who is one of the Giants’ 10 team captains, has improved in every phase.
Spielberger noted how “McKinney’s coverage grades in 2023 when lined up as a free safety, down in the box and in the slot are all top-10 marks among safeties, with decent enough sample sizes for the latter two to be worth noting. Over the past three seasons, McKinney’s 7.0 yards per coverage target is a top-25 mark among safeties and his 17 combined interceptions and forced incompletions are a top-20 mark.”
Even the supposed weak parts of McKinney’s game conceal some positive attributes, per Spielberger: “While he could make more plays at or near the line of scrimmage, McKinney rarely whiffs on open-field tackles, with his career 7.8% missed tackle rate ranking as the 11th-best mark among 89 safeties with at least 100 tackles over the past four seasons.”
The numbers are more than creditable, but they may not be enough to keep McKinney at MetLife Stadium.
Giants Might Resist Bidding War for Public Critic, Xavier McKinney
McKinney didn’t pull any punches when he took coaches to task publicly back in November. The 24-year-old said, “I think that from a leadership standpoint, I don’t think they’ve done a great job of letting the leaders lead, and listening to the leaders and the captains,” per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
Head coach Brian Daboll chose to play down McKinney’s comments, but Martindale took a different tact. The latter said “it hurts the locker room and it hurts the defense,” per Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News.
While Martindale was unhappy with McKinney, he kept him in the starting lineup. The decision has looked like a wise one since McKinney’s created turnovers in the last two games.
He recovered a fumble during Week 11’s 31-19 win over the Washington Commanders. McKinney also snatched an interception to help beat the New England Patriots 10-7 a week later.
The pick was a great example of McKinney’s anticipation and acceleration from the free safety spot. He’s allowed 31 completions from 50 targets and also been blitzed 20 times in Martindale’s pressure schemes, according to Pro Football Reference.
McKinney is a fit for what the Giants do defensively, but his future could depend on what the coaching setup looks like in 2024.
‘Wink’ Martindale’s Future With Giants Remains a Doubt
Martindale and Daboll have tried to make it look like everything’s okay, but reports of a rift between the pair appear well founded. Specifically, a report from Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer on Sunday, November 26 that Daboll and Martindale will “part ways,” has credibility, according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic.
Duggan admitted, “I didn’t realize things had escalated to the point Glazer reported — that he doesn’t think the relationship will continue after the season. Glazer doesn’t miss, and I haven’t heard anything to make me doubt the veracity of his report.”
Perhaps the Giants bring back McKinney if Martindale is gone after this season. Dumping the play-caller would be a risk, though, since Martindale’s defense remains the strength of Daboll’s team.
If Martindale remains on the staff, the Giants might count on him to develop another unheralded safety into a quality starter. It’s what he’s done with Jason Pinnock.
Choosing this option would be more cost effective than paying up to secure McKinney. The Giants are projected by Spotrac.com to have $36,812,555 worth of space under the salary cap, but offensive line and wide receiver are bigger needs than safety.
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