Like most disgruntled Giants fans, Michael Strahan isn’t pleased by what he’s seen on the field the past few seasons.
Discussing the state of his former franchise, the Hall of Fame defensive end told New York Times Magazine that while he feels good about the direction of the offense, the other side of the ball needs work.
“Defense is where I struggle, because there are times I’m watching, and I’m going, ‘Wow, this is pretty bad,’ ” Strahan said. “We don’t have a playmaker, per se, on defense, and that’s been a little disheartening. Where’s the guy who inspires everybody to play better?”
Strahan helped propel the Giants to a Super Bowl victory over the 18-0 Patriots in Super Bow XLII, leading a defensive unit that included Osi Umenyiora, Antonio Pierce and Justin Tuck. The current roster features a bevy of young players, and Strahan is curious to see who develops a voice in the locker room amid the voids left by veterans Janoris Jenkins and Damon “Snacks” Harrison the past two seasons.
Michael Strahan with Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora in Super Bowl XLIIGetty Images“Front-office wise, I don’t know what their plan is. I mean, we got rid of Jackrabbit [Jenkins], traded Snacks, got rid of Odell Beckham Jr. We got rid of a lot of guys who were opinionated, but you’ve got to have a soul to your team. Can’t have a bunch of nice guys and win. It doesn’t work. We need to find some dogs,” Strahan said.
General manager Dave Gettleman has prioritized the locker-room makeup after the team crumbled under the previous regime of coach Ben McAdoo and GM Jerry Reese.
It appears, though, that Strahan and Gettleman would disagree on what makes for a good team culture.
The Giants traded Beckham to the Browns last year, and Jenkins was cut in December after calling a fan a “retard” on social media. He was later claimed by the Saints. Harrison’s leadership was questioned while he was with the Giants.
With new coach Joe Judge at the helm, it seems he and Strahan are on the same page in terms of the future tone of the team.
“The only culture we’re gonna have in that building is a winning culture,” Judge said at his introductory press conference earlier this month, adding, “We’ll punch you in the nose for 60 minutes.”
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