By PFW staff
June 9, 2008

Michael Strahan

If the Giants are going to repeat as Super Bowl champions, they apparently will have to do it without DE Michael Strahan. Strahan, a 15-year veteran, reportedly has decided to retire. The seven-time Pro Bowler said it was a very difficult choice, but he wanted to let the Giants know of his plans prior to Wednesday’s minicamp, according to FoxSports.com’s Jay Glazer. Glazer reported that Strahan, 36, made up his mind about one week ago but took some time before making the decision public.

“It was important that my teammates knew which way I was going before they got on the field to start the work to defend our title,” Strahan said. “It’s time. I’m done.”

He departs as the Giants' all-time sack leader with 141½, including a high mark of 22½ in 2001, which stands as the NFL record for a single season. Strahan had nine sacks last season and played a key role in the Giants' superb defensive effort that produced a stunning upset victory over the undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

The PFW spin

Strahan’s decision was met with little surprise since he strongly considered retirement before eventually showing up at training camp last season. He had hinted at hanging up the cleats throughout this offseason before making the final call public on Monday.

Although age was creeping up on him (Strahan will turn 37 in November), the veteran was still a very effective playmaker on the D-line, and reports indicated that the Giants had been in talks about giving him a raise that would kick in if he hit a certain number of sacks next season.

However, Strahan was part of perhaps the deepest defensive line in the league, and the Giants are in a unique position to move on without a potential Hall of Famer and barely miss a beat with their front four.

It looks like Mathias Kiwanuka, who stood out as a rookie end in 2006, will take over for Strahan at left end. Kiwanuka started at strong-side linebacker in ’07 prior to suffering a broken leg in Week 11. He is a skilled pass rusher and also has the ability to stuff the run and drop into coverage, as he showed last season.

Justin Tuck will continue to serve as the third defensive end while Kiwanuka and Osi Umenyiora hold starting spots. Some observers believed that Tuck, who had 10 sacks in ’07, was the defense’s MVP last season, and he played a starring role in the Super Bowl upset of the Patriots. Umenyiora is one of the best all-around ends in the league and has the potential to dominate while using his tremendous strength to bully offensive linemen. Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield are entrenched as the starting tackles, with Jay Alford serving as a very capable backup. Tuck has the versatility to move inside, as well.

The major question mark for the squad will be at linebacker, where two starting spots — on the weak side and on the strong side — appear to be open. Second-year player Zak DeOssie has a shot at starting on the strong side, with rookie Bryan Kehl also in the mix. Veteran Danny Clark is penciled in on the weak side, although third-year man Gerris Wilkinson will be in the running for the job.

Strahan’s retirement poses a new challenge for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo as he tries to get his LB corps in order. He might need to once again unleash the creative blitzes and ways of generating pressure that were so vital to the squad’s run to the title last season as he lays out the design for ’08.