MINNEAPOLIS -- As soon as the Giants hired Pat Shurmur as head coach two weeks ago, linebacker Mark Herzlich contacted teammate Rhett Ellison for reconnaissance.

"The first thing I did was call Rhett Ellison and I was like, 'Hey, tell me about him,' because Rhett knows," Herzlich said of Ellison, who played for Shurmur with the Vikings in 2016. "Rhett really liked him. He said he was great to play for. He said he utilizes his players well. So I'm excited to see how that goes."

Herzlich visited the Giants' facility last week to meet Shurmur and reconnect with new general manager Dave Gettleman, who was the Giants' pro personnel director when Herzlich was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2011.

"I've gone in and I had a nice conversation (with Shurmur)," Herzlich said. "I stopped by the other day and met some of the other coaches. I sat down with Gettleman. It seems like a really good vibe."

Herzlich also met with new special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey, who was the Giants' assistant special teams coordinator under Tom Quinn from 2007-10. Quinn, who had been the Giants' special teams coordinator since 2007, wasn't retained by Shurmur.

"It was great to meet (McGaughey)," Herzlich said. "When there's change, there's always excitement. It's interesting. It's going to be different. Special teams is one of the areas that techniques and everything can change, but general concepts - you want to block and tackle and get yardage. If we can really improve our special teams it's going to help our entire team, especially time of possession and ball control and field position."

Herzlich has lasted seven years with the Giants mostly due to his role as a core special teams player. All of the changes have Herzlich facing an uncertain future as he heads into free agency, but the 30-year-old hopes to stay with the only NFL team he's known.

"I'm in no hurry to be going anywhere," said Herzlich, who signed a veteran minimum contract last offseason. "So we'll see how the next couple of months progress. If the Giants stay my home, which would be fantastic, then I feel like I'm in great hands. I've got great coaches and a great general manager and then obviously the Tisches and the Maras, whether I'm playing for the Giants or not, they're always family. It's a great place to be."

Adding to the uncertainty, Herzlich spent the entire 2017 season on injured reserve. He suffered a stinger in the second week of training camp, missed the rest of the preseason and was placed on IR on cut-down day.

Herzlich said he was fully healthy by Week 4, but that was too late. He tried to remain involved while on injured reserve.

"It was very difficult, but I decided that, for me, the Giants are more than just a job," Herzlich said. "So far in my life they've been my team. So I'd come in and help coach the linebackers and give my input and do game film cut-ups. I was trying to just do what I could because I couldn't help out on the field. I stayed around and stayed active mentally, but it was very difficult."

Dan Duggan may be reached at dduggan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DDuggan21. Find our Giants coverage on Facebook.