The Washington Redskins have asked the New York Giants for permission to interview defensive coordinator Perry Fewell for their vacant head-coaching position, according to ESPN's Josina Anderson.

It's not a surprise, given that Fewell used to be a popular interview candidate prior to the last two offseasons and the Giants' defense just finished the season ranked No. 8 in the NFL. The Redskins are casting a wide net in the wake of the firing of Mike Shanahan on Monday, but Fewell is an interesting candidate due to his strong reputation and the bit of head-coaching experience he got as an interim head coach with the Buffalo Bills in 2009.

Much of the focus in the wake of the Giants' disappointing 7-9 season has been on whether offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride will be retained by the team. Due to the strong second-half performance of the Giants' defense, it's been assumed that Fewell's job was safe. But it's been a couple of years since Fewell made the interview circuit, and so no one had really raised the issue of whether he'd leave on his own. If he does, the Giants could be in for a full coaching staff rebuild under Tom Coughlin, who has said he wants to return as head coach and has been told by team ownership that it wants him back as well.