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OTA Report for Monday, June 4
D-line looks to get faster, more aggresive for '07.
By Adam Streicher, Giants.com

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June 4, 2007

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - One of the Giants' strengths for the 2007 season will be their defensive line. Position coach Mike Waufle is getting a first look at the line's great potential during the organized team activities (OTAs) currently being held at Giants Stadium.

"I think the more practice you get at things, the better off you'll be, so we do it now."
- DE Osi Umenyiora

From a defensive line standpoint, the focus of the practices has been on making the group faster and more aggressive than it was at times during the 2006 season. The coaches are also giving the players a little more independence to rush the passer.

"I think as far as the defensive line (scheme goes), it gives us a little more freedom just to work up field," said Fred Robbins

, the defensive tackle who had a career year in '06 with 5.5 sacks and two interceptions. "It gives us a chance to do what we do best, get off the ball. We attack and go instead of sit back and read."

Some linemen are learning to play new positions.

"I'm going to be playing left and right tackle," said Barry Cofield, who registered 32 tackles as a rookie nose tackle last season. "You'll see Fred and I or whoever else is in there playing the three and the nose, instead of me being exclusively the nose, so I'm excited about that. I'm not getting beat up by so many double teams and I get to move out a little bit. It's going to be a lot more blitzing and should be a lot more exciting and hopefully more effective than last year."

Defensive end Osi Umenyiora said the real importance of the OTAs is for players to get an understanding of new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's schemes and get accustomed to playing with their teammates before mini-camp and training camp.

"I think the more practice you get at things, the better off you'll be, so we do it now," Umenyiora said. "Pretty much the things they are putting in now are going to be the same things they put in during training camp. It will be our second time doing the same exact thing, so we'll be more in tune with the defense."

With all the talent on the field, the Giants are looking to have one of the NFL's strongest defensive fronts in 2007.

"We feel like we have the talent, the experience, the athleticism, everything you need to be the best defensive line," Cofield said. "We have Pro Bowl players on the edges (in Umenyiora and Michael Strahan), we got a Pro Bowl-type season out of Fred last year in my opinion and I was lucky enough to be named All-Rookie, so I feel the sky's the limit for our defensive line and we want to be the best."