The Giants did a fantastic -- and momentarily unpopular -- job of drafting themselves out of a clean slate for the franchise in 2015.
Odell Beckham's marvelous feats of strength pacified an otherwise-sullen fan base through the dreary months of another season that made a 2011 Super Bowl title seem miles away.
That being said, the Giants know they have little excuse this year, and that another whiff could finally result in a long-feared regime change.
"There may be a little more intensity in it this year because of the circumstance we've found ourselves in," Giants coach Tom Coughlin told NFL Media's Kimberly Jones.
But, per Jones, the Giants expect Coughlin to sign a one-year contract extension once he returns home from the combine, the exact same maneuver the organization pulled last year. The team's long-standing policy against letting a coach head into his lame-duck year without a deal will be honored once again.
Coughlin hinted at the development during his press conference earlier this week.
The interesting thing is that Coughlin's eventual deal will run a year longer than the contracts of Eli Manning and highly touted offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo, both of whom are free agents in 2016. It would be hard to imagine Coughlin starting anew with yet another coordinator and quarterback, especially if the record doesn't improve in 2015.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast breaks down all the latest from the combine and gives updates on Peyton Manning and Adrian Peterson. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
