New York Giants News: Martin Mayhew Added To Front Office

New York Giants News: The Giants have brought aboard Martin Mayhew, formally of the Detroit Lions, to replace Matt Harriss, who left for a job with the Lions.

The New York Giants continue to work and shape their management heading into an important 2016 offseason. With a new leader on the sidelines in Ben McAdoo, replacing Tom Coughlin who stepped down, the Giants have also been making changes to their front office.

After losing Matt Harriss to the Detroit Lions earlier this offseason, the Giants have dipped into the Lions front office to fill his spot. Harriss left the Giants to join the Lions to assist their new general manager, Bob Quinn, with running the salary cap. In his place, the Giants have brought aboard Martin Mayhew, who was a member of the Lions front office sine 2001.

Mayhew will receive the title of the Giants’ Director of Football Operations/special projects. According to the Giants website, Mayhew “will be working closely with assistant general manager Kevin Abrams on all aspects of the salary cap, CBA compliance and player contract negotiations. He will also handle special projects as assigned by general manager Jerry Reese.”

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Mayhew has spent the last 15 years as a member of the Lions’ organization, and this will be the first time he works for another team in the NFL since 1999 when he was an intern with the Washington Redskins. He was the Lions’ general manager from November 2008 until this past November when he was relieved of his duties.

He will have a tall task ahead of him to try and help turn around the Giants, as they are coming off two consecutive six-win seasons and have missed the playoffs for the last four seasons. That is child’s play compared to the mess he walked into as the Lions general manager in 2008, as he had the responsibility of turning around a team that went 0-16; he took over for Matt Millen on an interim basis in the middle of that season.

The Lions made the postseason twice in Mayhew’s tenure as general manager in 2011 and 2014. While he made the Lions relevant once again, he was also part of the problem with them being underachievers in recent seasons. While he had some success in free agency, where the Giants will look to hit it big this season, he also struggled with the draft at times.

The Lions have zero players remaining on their roster from their 2010 and 2011 draft classes, most of whom are not even in the NFL any longer. Some busts from those seasons include Titus Young and Mikel Leshoure in the second round of 2011. Jahvid Best was forced to retire because of concussions, and the two best players from those draft classes, the dominant defensive tackle duo of Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley, both left as free agents.

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It is a mixed review for Mayhew, but the Giants are hoping that he can bring the positive impact with him to East Rutherford and leave the negative ones back in Detroit.

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