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Giants DE
Michael Strahan
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The Giants’ history of success is getting ancient.
This season marks the 10th anniversary of the Giants’ most recent championship,
which they captured with a thrilling victory over Buffalo in Super Bowl XXV.
The Giants have mostly stumbled through the subsequent seasons. They’ve had as
many head coaches (three) as winning seasons. New York has reached the playoffs just
twice, in 1993 and ’97, and has not won a postseason game since defeating Minnesota
in a wild-card playoff game following the ’93 season.
The franchise had high hopes after its surprise NFC East title in ’97, Jim
Fassel’s first year as head coach. But the Giants were 8-8 and 7-9 the last two
seasons, including a 2-6 wrap-up to the second half of the ’99 campaign. In the
offseason, management gave Fassel just a one-year contract extension, which forces him to
win this season or face expulsion.
The Giants will sport a different look this season, in more ways than one. They have
redesigned their uniforms, going with a retro look that includes the return of the old
"ny" logo on their helmets.
More important, they have restructured their roster in a radical departure from
previous team policy. Throughout the free-agency era, the Giants have concentrated on
signing their own players. This year they opened the doors and let many of them leave.
"We tried to sign our players the last two years, and we went 15-17," general
manager Ernie Accorsi said. "We had to turn over this team, because it wasn’t
good enough."
When the purge ended, 16 players who had at least a moderately significant role with
the team last year were gone, including QB Kent Graham, OLs Roman Oben and Brian Williams
and DBs Phillippi Sparks and Percy Ellsworth.
The Giants signed six veteran free agents, five of whom will start: OLs Lomas Brown,
Dusty Zeigler and Glenn Parker, LB Micheal Barrow and CB Dave Thomas. Heisman
Trophy-winning RB Ron Dayne leads a draft class that is expected to make an immediate
impact.
That’s not all. New offensive coordinator Sean Payton plans to use unexpected
formations and personnel groupings to enliven what had become a stale offense.
"We’ve changed this team," Fassel said. "I said there would be some
changes, and we’ve made them. We’ve changed the personnel, as well as the way
we’re doing some things."
Starting Sept. 3, the Giants will find out if it’s enough to escape the treadmill
of mediocrity they’ve been stuck on for a decade.
"We believe it’s going to be different (this year)," RB Tiki Barber
said. "We can’t make people believe we’re going to do well. We’re
going to have to go out and show them. It’s got to start with us and our
belief."
Top of page
| Quarterbacks |
Grade B- |
| Since Fassel arrived in ’97, the Giants have had
disposable quarterbacks. Kerry Collins will be the fourth quarterback to open a season in
as many years. But the Giants believe Collins will succeed where Dave Brown, Danny Kanell
and Graham failed. After taking over with six games remaining in ’99, Collins put
together a pair of 300-yard passing games, the first by a Giants QB since 1993. Collins
now eschews alcohol, which he said led to his problems on and off the field in Carolina
and New Orleans. He is a happier person and a better player, with the arm, intelligence
and leadership ability to be a star quarterback. Newcomer Jason Garrett is content to be a
well-respected backup. Top
of page |
| Running backs |
Grade C+ |
| In three seasons under Fassel, the Giants’ rushing
attack has dropped from seventh in the league (124.3 yards a game) to 12th to last
year’s No. 24 ranking (88 yards). Their leading rusher in ’99 was Joe
Montgomery, with a lowly total of 348 yards. The Giants addressed the shortcoming by using
the 11th pick in the draft on Dayne, the NCAA career rushing leader. Dayne immediately
steps in as the starter. Montgomery will likely open the season at fullback. Barber gives
the Giants depth and a nice change of pace. Top of page |
| Receivers |
Grade B- |
| The franchise that hasn’t had a Pro Bowl receiver since
before the merger (Homer Jones, 1968) finally has some star power at the position. Amani
Toomer set a team record with 79 receptions last year and is on the cusp of stardom.
Collins-to-Toomer could emerge as one of the better duos in the league this season. Ike
Hilliard (72 catches) is a reliable target on the other side. The Giants need third-year
pro Joe Jurevicius to step up as a third receiver. TE Pete Mitchell, a key player in the
new offensive scheme, will miss the first two games with a sprained knee suffered in the
preseason opener. Top of
page |
| Offensive linemen |
Grade C |
| Perhaps the foremost goal for Accorsi and Fassel when the
offseason began was to rebuild an offensive line that underachieved in ’99. The
result is four new starters and lingering uncertainty about whether the unit is actually
better. Brown, 37, replaces Oben at left tackle. Parker is the new left guard. A third
free agent, Zeigler, takes over for Williams at center. Luke Petitgout, the 1999
first-round draft choice who flopped at guard, steps in for Scott Gragg at right tackle.
ORG Ron Stone is the lone holdover. Top of page |
| Defensive linemen |
Grade B |
| This unit must get a better season out of its three-time Pro
Bowler, Michael Strahan. After recording an NFL-high 29 sacks in 1997 and ’98,
Strahan had just 5½ last year. That was a big reason the Giants plummeted from a
league-best 54 sacks two years ago to just 31 in ’99. DRE Cedric Jones emerged as a
solid player last year. DRT Keith Hamilton is a force against the run. Second-round pick
Cornelius Griffin had an excellent training camp and is pushing Christian Peter at the
other DT spot. There is an alarming lack of depth, particularly at the ends. Top of page |
| Linebackers |
Grade B |
| Barrow arrived from Carolina and stepped into the MLB job
next to his former University of Miami (Fla.) teammate, Jessie Armstead, who has joined
Strahan at the last three Pro Bowls. With Barrow and Armstead, the Giants have
above-average speed and skill behind the defensive line. Unspectacular Ryan Phillips mans
the strong side. Pete Monty is a capable backup. Top of page |
| Defensive backs |
Grade C |
| CB Jason Sehorn is healthy after two injury-plagued seasons
and seems poised to play as well as he did in ’97, when he was one of the NFL’s
best cornerbacks. SS Sam Garnes is a solid, underrated player. But Dave Thomas is lightly
regarded at the other corner, and new FS Shaun Williams missed most of the preseason with
a sprained toe. The depth in the secondary is dangerously thin. Top of page |
| Special teams |
Grade C |
| Brad Daluiso has recovered from last season’s knee
surgery and reclaimed his job. He has made 28 of his last 36 field-goal attempts and is
one of the NFL’s best kickoff men. P Brad Maynard is among the league’s finest.
Barber invigorated the punt-return team last season, but kickoff returns remain a problem,
and the coverage teams are below average. Top of page |
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