Former Giants interim head coach and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo thinks his former team will bounce back after a 3-13 season in which the Giants defense gave up the second-most yards and fifth-most points.

"I think they're gonna bounce back and be fine," Spagnuolo said, according to the New York Post's Steve Serby.

The Giants cleaned house last season, firing head coach Ben McAdoo and GM Jerry Reese midway through the season. New York's 2018 staff includes Dave Gettleman as GM, Pat Shurmur as head coach, Mike Shula as offensive coordinator and James Bettcher as defensive coordinator.

"Pat's a good teacher," Spagnuolo said. "He's a good man."

New York's secondary still features Janoris Jenkins, Landon Collins and Eli Apple, and the Giants added linebacker Alec Ogletree and defensive end Josh Mauro to their front seven. But Spagnuolo highlighted New York's revamped offensive line, a healthy Odell Beckham Jr. and the new addition of Saquon Barkley when talking about his optimism in New York.

"Eli [Manning]'s got some weapons," Spagnuolo said. "He can hand the ball off to somebody that's a quality running back and I do think they'll be better on defense just because of the injury thing, guys are healthy."

Spagnuolo went 1-3 as interim head coach, and in one and a half years as defensive coordinator, the Giants ranked among the worst defensive teams. They gave up 24.3 points per game and 373.2 total yards per game a season ago.

But he said he has no hard feelings about being let go.

"I would tell the Giants fans that I'm always gonna have a little bit of blue in my blood -- that's never gonna change," Spagnuolo said.

Popular in the Community