The New York Giants will not officially begin working with their coaching staff until late April/early May, but in the
meantime, players on the defensive side of the ball have begun contacting new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen
to extend a welcome and to begin the working relationship that will be so important in the coming months.
One of those players who has already spoken with Bowen is inside linebacker and team co-captain Bobby Okereke,
the Giants’ top free agent signing from the Colts last year, who will be playing in his third defensive system in as
many years.
“I’m really excited, really, how fast we gelled based on the conversation we had,” Okereke told the New York Post this
week in Las Vegas, the location of Super Bowl XLVIII.
“We sat there and chatted ball for about ten minutes, and I told him about my experiences playing with Matt
Eberflus in the Cover 2 system, Gus Bradley in the Cover 3 system, and, of course, Wink in the Blitz-Man system. I’m
excited to immerse myself in what they do and what we do now.
Okereke ended his debut season as a Giant with 149 tackles, ranking tenth in the league. He did so after ranking 10th
in the league in tackles in 2022 while with the Indianapolis Colts.
Bowen began his career as a defensive assistant with the Houston Texans in 2016. During his two seasons with the
Texans, they had two of the league’s most productive defenses.
Following his time in Houston, Bowen became the Titans’ linebackers coach for three seasons before serving as the
team’s defensive coordinator for the final three seasons before joining the Giants.
