Senior members of the Giants’ front office are leaving, but it has nothing to do with anyone jumping ship or being ejected after a terrible 2024 season.
Ryan Cowden, who served as general manager Joe Schon’s executive advisor for the past two years, is stepping down to join New England’s front office and is expected to reunite with the Patriots’ new head coach, Mike Vrabel.
Cowden and Vrabel worked together on the Titans.
The Giants plan to terminate Cowden’s contract and allow him to work with Vrabel again.
The Patriots themselves do not have a general manager position.
Elliott Wolfe is executive vice president of player personnel and at the top of the food chain in New England’s front office.
Cowden would fit in somewhere, but Vrabel is expected to have a bigger say in personnel changes than most head coaches.
Shane brought Cowden on board in 2023 based on their time together in Carolina.
They worked together as scouts during Shane’s seven years with the Panthers and are close friends.
Cowden’s role with the Giants was an additional position within the front office, so there is no need to hire a replacement.
Cowden rose to the level of vice president of player personnel for the Titans and actually served as interim general manager for the second half of the 2022 season after Jon Robinson was fired.
Cowden was a candidate to replace Robinson, but the Titans ended up hiring Ran Carson, who didn’t last long. He was fired on January 7th.
The Giants met with Cowden to replace Schoen as general manager.
After the Giants went 3-14, John Mara explained why he and co-owner Steve Tisch decided to keep Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll. cited the front office as one of the reasons he craves continuity.
“I really like the staff he’s assembled,” Mara said of Shane. “The staff that he’s assembled around him, and the process that we’re going through right now, and the information that we have when making personnel decisions, is better than I’ve ever seen. I think so.”
Cowden is going to a team that has the No. 4 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but the Patriots don’t need a quarterback because they have Drake Maye.
The Giants own the No. 3 overall pick and are looking to acquire a quarterback this offseason.
