Adoree’ Jackson and the rest of the secondary are “buying in” to the changes on the New York Giants defense.
The Giants have gone through a lot of turmoil this offseason as they essentially cleaned house with a new general manager, head coach, offensive coordinator, and defensive coordinator. That is a lot to process for players and that much change is not easy.
Luckily for Jackson and the Giants, Wink Martindale is a phenomenal defensive coordinator and the secondary (having a lot to learn) is grateful to have him. Jackson is the longest-tenured vet in the secondary as the rest of the group has barely seen any NFL action. This is a new role for the USC product but he is happily accepting it.
“I enjoy it at the end of the day. Being able to go through certain things in my career early, not being old but still being able to relate to the guys,” Jackson told reporters on Tuesday. “If they need to come to me and ask me for some help or ask me anything, I’m just being able to be there for them which I think is pretty cool. It’s kind of like when we were in high school and somebody comes in like a freshman or when you’re in college and you’re an older guy and then everybody just wants to chop it up with you, chirp or whatever it may be.
“At the end of the day, they respect that. I’m not really trying to be all in their face telling them you need to do this, you need to do that. I just let them go and do their thing and if they need help, they know they can talk to me. I appreciate the role that is given to me and that I have.”
Jackson, entering his sixth year, has had a solid career so far with 262 tackles, 41 passes defensed, and three interceptions. He will look to improve on those totals as he and the rest of his personnel group learn the new defensive scheme, a process that has started to pick up traction.
“I think just buying in, I think that’s for all of us. Buying in, understanding that there are a bunch of changes going on in the organization,” he said. “Us just buying in, not, ‘Woe is me,’ or feeling bad about the past or looking too much in front of the future. Just worrying about the day that we have, today, and being present and trying to perfect that day.”
The Giants will need all the help it can get at secondary, with its paper-thin rotation, but it is a good sign to see the players buying in.