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Loaded D-Line
By Giants.com

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AUGUST 7, 2009

ALBANY, NY - With two key free agent acquisitions and the return of Pro Bowler Osi Umenyiora, the Giants realized their primary offseason objective of improving the talent and depth on a defensive line that general manager Jerry Reese said, "seemed to get worn down" late in the 2008 season.

The regular season opener is still 37 days away, but the Giants are already benefitting from having those extra players.

Two defensive linemen are ineligible to practice and three more are limited to one workout a day, but the line has still performed impressively in the first week of training camp.

"This D-line does a great job in practice when everybody is out there rotating guys in and using different combinations, because you never know how things are going to go," Pro Bowl end Justin Tuck said today at the University at Albany. "We feel as though we have eight starters, anyway. So when Jay (Alford) is out there, when (Chris) Canty is out there, when Kiwi (Mathias Kiwanuka), when Dave Tollefson is out there, whoever it is, we kind of look at those guys as starters, anyway. I don't really see any lesser activity when the starters go out. We still feel very confident in who we send out there when our starting line is not there."

Assuming everyone is in good health, the defensive line projected to line up is Tuck and Umenyiora as the starting ends, with Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield at tackle. The second group, which is as good as many starting units, could have Kiwanuka and Canty at the ends with Alford and Rocky Bernard inside. Tollefson, Jeremy Clark and Robert Henderson are also competing for roster spots.

It's an impressive cast, but the entire group has not been together for even one practice. Robbins, who had offseason knee surgery, is on the physically unable to perform list. Bernard is on the non-football injury list after arriving here with a damaged hamstring. Umenyiora, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, Tuck and Cofield, who also had offseason knee surgery, are practicing just once a day as Tom Coughlin and the team's medical staff ensures that they do not overtax themselves. Of those eligible to practice, only Umenyiora sat out today's session.

Despite the disjointed practice regimen, the linemen said neither their preparation nor their cohesion is suffering.

"I'm getting plenty of work," Cofield said. "It's a good rhythm. I'm biased, but I think everyone should be on a one-a-day program. I know for younger guys a lot of reps is key. But for a guy like me I played a lot of snaps, started a lot of games, I feel like this is perfect for me."

"We have been playing together for three years now and we kind of know what to expect from each guy," Tuck said. "If anything, it kind of helps us understand how the other guys play in certain situations. But you know, Osi and I still have hand signals, eye signals, and things like that if we see something and change a call in our mind and do something differently. Lucky for us, we have a coaching staff that gives us that freedom. So far, it's been working pretty well for us. Hopefully, we can remember all those things and keep that chemistry together."

In the NFL, one player's injury or rehabilitation is a teammate's opportunity. With Robbins sidelined, Alford, the third-year pro who also snaps for field goals and extra points, has played with the first team in every practice. Alford played every game in his first two seasons, including three starts last year.

"I do think that I'm performing to a level where I think I can get a lot more playing time," Alford said. "At the same time I do want to see them get back and get healthy. Barry's on his way back, and I think Freddie should be back sometime soon."

Alford said Robbins has been a helpful mentor, pulling him aside when he comes off the field to offer pointers on what to work on and what to watch for. The advice has helped Alford improve.

"I think I'm better at playing the run and then transferring that to pass," Alford said. "Because of play action pass, I feel as though I can get my pass rushing move on and get to the quarterback as soon as I can."

His linemates have noticed a difference.

"I feel like I had my biggest jump between year two and three and I'm seeing the same thing out of Jay," Cofield said. "He's learning how to play, he's getting a chance to play against an all-pro type guy like (guard Chris) Snee. He's getting in some good work and is getting better everyday."

"Jay has probably made the biggest improvement on our D-line," Tuck said. "You can tell he's really focused and developed his skills to a T this off-season. It's paying off for him right now. He's had an awesome camp. Obviously, this is just our second day in pads, but he just looks a lot quicker and smoother and more focused on what he has to do as a defensive tackle."

Another player to watch is Canty, who, at 6-7, looks large even among outsized football players.

"He's a different type of animal," Cofield said. "We got different guys of all shapes and sizes, with different skill sets, so it's going to be tough for opposing lineups."

In his first four seasons, Canty never missed a game while playing both end and tackle in the Dallas Cowboys' 3-4 defense. The Giants signed him as a free agent on March 1. This week, he has played exclusively at tackle.

"I knew that they were going to give me the opportunity to start out and learn the tackle position and right now, I'm just trying to take advantage of those repetitions out there," Canty said. "It's a process learning this new defense so I'm trying to absorb it just as fast as I can."

Is it more difficult doing that going from a 3-4 defense to the Giants' 4-3?

"Well, I hear that it's harder to go from a 4-3 to a 3-4, but it's pretty hard to go from a 3-4 to 4-3," Canty said. "All the blocking angles are different. Everything is moving a lot faster inside. So I'm just adjusting to that. I haven't really had to make a lot of adjustments to my game in the last nine years, because I have been playing the same defense. I played it in college and played it my last four years in the NFL. So, coming to a 4-3 is a big adjustment.

"But it's fun. I get a chance to come off the ball and try and be as disruptive as possible. It's a lot to be learned. I'm very much a perfectionist. I try to be perfect at my technique, especially in practice and in this training camp atmosphere so that when I go to games it will come naturally. It will be second nature."

Eventually, so will working together for the members of the Giants' reinforced defensive line.

"It's going to be fun to have everybody out there," Cofield said. "I don't envy the task of blocking us."


NOTES

*The Giants concluded the offense vs. defense portion of practice with two goal line plays, the first live action of camp. Antonio Pierce led a group of defenders in stopping Brandon Jacobs on the first play, and Chase Blackburn tackled Ahmad Bradshaw on the next snap.

"The ball was on about the one and a half yard line, third down and goal," Coughlin said. "It's alright, give them a little bit of a taste. It was just introduced today. What I wanted to do was get them down there and bang them. I didn't want to be involved in something where someone didn't know an assignment. Of course, I am thinking more of the twos than I am the ones."

*Safety C.C. Brown made two big plays, intercepting a long pass David Carr pass, then knocking down a Carr attempt for Hakeem Nicks...The loudest cheer of the day was for Nicks' downfield reception on a pass from Carr...Danny Ware, Andre Brown, Bradshaw, Domenik Hixon, Sinorice Moss, Mario Manningham and Nicks all worked as kickoff returners in the special team drill...Guard Rich Seubert did individual drills and Coughlin is hopeful of getting him back fully early next week.

*Wide receiver Taye Biddle will leave the team tomorrow to attend his grandmother's funeral.

*Today's attendance was 6,720, which broke the single-practice record for a non-scrimmage. The previous mark for one practice session was 4,500 on July 24, 1996, the Giants' first year at UAlbany The four-day attendance total is 15,475. That shattered the previous record for the Giants' first four days here (11,590 in 2008).