OPINION

By Clifton Brown

updated 9:28 p.m. ET June 10, 2008

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Michael Strahan did not cry at Tuesday's retirement press conference. And Giants fans should not be crying either.

The Giants won a Super Bowl the year after Tiki Barber retired. And there is enough talent remaining, even without Strahan, for the Giants to make another run at the Lombardi Trophy.
Resiliency is one of the Giants' most admirable qualities. They were resilient enough to win 11 consecutive road games during their Super Bowl run — seven during the regular season, followed by four more during the postseason. Their quarterback, Eli Manning, has been resilient enough to withstand heavy criticism, as has Giants head coach, Tom Coughlin.

The Giants said goodbye to Strahan on Tuesday, and they will miss both his talent and leadership. Yet nobody in the Giants' organization was saying goodbye to their Super Bowl chances.

"If enough people write that there's no way we can win without Michael, that might provide some extra motivation from the players in the locker room," says Giants co-owner John Mara. "It's pretty tough to repeat, in this sport or in any sport. But we've got some pretty good talent and pretty good leaders in that locker room. And they're going to have to step forward."

The Giants were smart enough to plan for Strahan's retirement long before he left. Despite having Strahan and Osi Umenyiora at defensive end, the Giants drafted defensive end Justin Tuck (third round) in 2005, and defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka (first round) in 2006.

"That's one thing I learned from Ernie Accorsi," says Giants general manager Jerry Reese, referring to the Giants' former general manager. "You can never have too many pass rushers."

Strahan's departure opens the way for Tuck to become a major force on the defensive line, joining Umenyiora, who already is a Pro` Bowl player. Tuck, only 25 years old, could be on the verge of stardom. He had two sacks and a forced fumble during the Super Bowl, and his presence will make teams think twice about double-teaming Umenyiora.

The Giants converted Kiwanuka to linebacker last season, and they are still deciding whether to keep him there, or move him back to the line. That decision will not be made until the preseason, when Coughlin can access how newly signed defensive end Renaldo Wynn fits into the picture.

"We're going to have to answer that question," says Coughlin. "We know what we want to do on obvious pass rush downs, but on first down, Mathias is a linebacker until we, or I decide otherwise."

Strahan seemed totally at peace with his decision Tuesday, smiling easily, and expressing confidence that the Giants' defense would be formidable without him.

"We have great players on this team, guys who don't deserve to sit behind an old guy like me," says Strahan. "They shouldn't sit behind me because of nostalgia. Guys like Tuck, Kiwanuka, and Osi will have more of a chance to do their own thing, blossom, and become leaders in a bigger way."

The Giants have other issues to iron out, like the status of disgruntled tight end Jeremy Shockey, who was nearly traded to the Saints during draft weekend. Will Shockey return happily to the lineup once his broken leg mends, or would he rather play elsewhere, and would the Giants still be inclined to move him?

It's always something with the Giants, but they're used to it. Winning a Super Bowl without Strahan will not be easy. But expect the Giants to relish the challenge.

"I would love to see nothing better than to see everybody pick us to finish last in the NFC East," says Mara. "We seem to respond well to that."

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