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The Giants have given new head coach Joe Judge the freedom to choose his own assistants, though his bosses have certainly made their preference for an experienced staff clear. John Mara even said publicly that "having experienced people on both sides of the ball is going to be critical," and that an assistant with head coaching experience "would be great," too.
Judge didn't meet that criteria when he hired Patrick Graham as his defensive coordinator. That's why his next big hire -- offensive coordinator -- will be so interesting to watch.
There are many experienced candidates available for the 38-year-old Judge, including a few that sources say he is considering. It's unknown whom he plans to hire, or if he feels any pressure to bring in someone with head coaching experience. But it's expected that his choice will become clear by the end of the week.
For now, here's a look at some of the candidates for the job:
Jason Garrett
There is no doubt the Giants have a fondness for Garrett and even Mara said, "I have a lot of respect for Jason." That respect dates back to Garrett's days as a backup quarterback on the Giants, when many in the organization saw him as a bright offensive mind with a future in coaching.
The Giants even wanted to interview him for their head coaching job last week (before they cancelled his interview and hired Judge), though they knew they likely wouldn't hire him. If he's interested, Judge could talk to Garrett now that his contract has officially expired.
Said Mara: "I certainly wouldn't have any objection to that."
Mike Shula
He was the Giants offensive coordinator the last two years, and a source confirmed he already spoke with Judge about the job. Obviously the Giants offense wasn't great in that span, but it was Pat Shurmur's offense and he was calling the plays.
Shula's primary job was to work closely with quarterback Daniel Jones and earned deserved praise for that. He was a successful offensive coordinator in Carolina (2013-17), a former head coach (Alabama 2003-06), and a favorite of Gettleman, so he could have a serious shot at the job.
Freddie Kitchens
He endured one nightmare season as the Browns head coach, but he was pretty good as their offensive coordinator the year before. He also was a big help for then-rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield and found a way to get the best out of him in his offense.
A source said Judge planned to talk to Kitchens. The two crossed paths at Mississippi State in 2004-05 when Kitchens was an assistant coach and Judge was a player and then a grad assistant.
Chad O'Shea
Judge and O'Shea spent seven years together in New England (2012-18) and, according to one source, were very close. He's available because he was recently fired after one year as the offensive coordinator in Miami, reportedly because his scheme was deemed too complex for a young team.
It's unclear if that will hurt his chances with the Giants, another young team with a second-year quarterback. Judge was expected to talk with him about a position on the staff, the source said.
Jay Gruden
A hot name among the fanbase, which likely remembers him being labelled an offensive whiz in his three years as offensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals (2011-13). He's coming off five and (almost) a half bad years as coach of the Redskins.
His offense there wasn't bad until he was undone by quarterback issues the last two years. He has no obvious connection to Judge, though, and there's no indication he wants to go back to being a coordinator.
John DeFilippo
He's a former Giants assistant who was highly regarded in the organization, and certainly could get a look if Judge's bosses suggest it. But the shine is off his star a bit after going through jobs with five different teams in the last six seasons.
Once thought to be a rising star among future head coaches after the job he did with Carson Wentz as the quarterbacks coach in Philadelphia, he only lasted one year each as the offensive coordinator in Minnesota and Jacksonville. He could still be a good choice, but appears to be a longshot.
Bill Callahan
He's an experienced former head coach, including his 3-8 stint as the Redskins interim head coach last season, and an experienced offensive coordinator. He has always run a decidedly "old school" offense, which appears to be what the Giants might want.
Plus, he's got a particular expertise in offensive line (15 years as an NFL offensive line coach), which the Giants clearly need. He could be a good fit as the offensive line coach, too. Or both.