NFList

Giants boast NFL’s top DE tandem

By Joel Buchsbaum, Contributing editor
As published in print Sept. 10, 2001

Giants DE Michael Strahan

NFL insiders were asked which team they believe has the best set of defensive ends in the league. There was no clear-cut choice, as the Eagles were when they lined up with Clyde Simmons on one side and Reggie White on the other. But the three teams that were mentioned the most were the Giants, Buccaneers and Titans. All comments were made anonymously.

1. Giants — "At the end of last year, Michael Strahan was the most dominating defensive lineman in all of football. And Kenny Holmes is a very good pass-rushing end who had a breakthrough year (in Tennessee) at right end."

2. Titans — "Jevon Kearse can be the best pass rusher the game has seen in a long time and have a Lawrence Taylor-type impact. And if (Titans DL coach) Jim Washburn can get Kevin Carter back to being 75 percent of the player he was in St. Louis in 1999, they will be unstoppable."

3. Buccaneers — "Simeon Rice is the key. With millions on the line, maybe he will play hard and play the run for a change. Marcus Jones is solid but not super at left end."

4. Saints — "Joe Johnson is a great, great football player who does it all, but I am not as sold on Darren Howard as the Saints’ brass seems to be. He feeds off the other guys on the line — who, I might add, are all All-Pro type of players — and also has a great linebacker in Keith Mitchell behind him.

5. Ravens — "Rob Burnett had the best year of his career in 2000, but he is also 34. Michael McCrary, while still solid, showed signs of slipping last year and is 31 with a 45-year-old knee. However, these are two of the smartest, hardest-working, savvy and technique-sound ends in the game, and they know all the tricks of the trade."

6. Redskins — "Bruce Smith is not what he was, but he still is a force. Marco Coleman really seemed to fade after a great start last year. And you have to remember, both these players are way up in age."

The Archives
2001 - 2002 Season