So none of your guys got hurt today?
I don’t think so.  At least not that I am aware of right now, unless you guys know something I don’t.

When you draft two defensive guys in the first two rounds are you excited?
Well we certainly trust what Marc Ross and Jerry Reese have done and we are certainly happy with getting those two guys, yeah.

Anything specific about them that has caught your eye?
They were both very productive guys that both played at a high level of football so that right there we think means a lot.  Just in the few days we have had a chance to work with them they are pretty much every bit what we thought they were.  We will keep working them and hopefully get two good players out of them.

Is it accurate that when you looked at Phillips you saw him as a Brian Dawkins type player?
I am not going to make that statement.  I have said this before; Brian Dawkins is a special guy.  You are talking about a guy coming out of college… I mean we are getting a little bit ahead of ourselves.

You don’t want to compare them?
No.

Can this kid make an impact on a defense at some point?
We will see.  You stand there and make that statement today… that is a lot of pressure on a guy.  All these guys take their natural jump from college to the pros and it is a learning process and we will let it take its course.  We obviously think he has some potential to be pretty good.

He can be a strong or free safety?
Yeah I am not going to classify him either way.  What we are doing with him right now is we are having him play left and right so he learns both.  Right now you see him either always on the right or always on the left, which means he is basically playing free and strong.  As we go through we will assess where we should kind of slide him in there.

Is it helpful for Terrell Thomas that he comes from Pete Carroll’s system at USC?
I have a lot of respect for Coach Carroll and what he has done certainly in this league and what he has been doing at USC.  I do think it makes a difference.  I think he is far ahead. You all know we are a press team and just in the three practices that we have had with him he looks like knows what he is doing in there.  That is a major advantage. 

Does Phillips coming from Miami make him more ready than someone from a smaller school?
Well I know when Jerry and Marc Ross, when we talk about players before the draft I think there is a little weight added to the level of football they play.  I think that is just natural and you would all do the same thing.  We are hoping that makes a big difference, especially initially.  Eventually they all end up playing the NFL game, but I think that helps.

What have you seen from Kehl and Goff?
Not pleasantly surprised, pleasantly pleased I would say.  Both of them are good sized guys and Jonathan Goff has a very good presence about himself in front of the huddle, which you need as a mike linebacker.  To me Bryan (Kehl) is a very good athlete, which we kind of need in our outside linebackers so I am very pleased at this point.

Is Goff more vocal in the huddle?
I wouldn’t say vocal, but at least he is a commanding presence.  I look at that always right away with my mike linebacker.

How does Kehl make the transition from playing in a 3-4 in college?
Well the natural transition from that particular situation is that when you put him back off the ball in front of the offensive linemen he has some schemes that he has to read.  That is just like when we put Kiwi there last year.

It is more mental than physical?
Yeah, vision and instincts.  Even at BYU they had him at times off in that position because I remember watching that film and saying I think he can be that spot.  I think he will be okay.

You would like to come into camp knowing who is at linebacker and defensive end?
Certainly it is more comfortable sitting here today than I was a year ago only in that I know the players, we have had a year in the scheme, you can go a little bit more forward and expand things.  I think there is a natural comfort there.  I think I would be lying if I said otherwise.

Did you see Michael Strahan when he was here working out?
I didn’t.  I was actually down at the NFL symposium and I didn’t get back until a little bit later but they said he was here.

No communication between you and him?
I didn’t have a chance to talk to him, no, I honestly did not.

Is Kiwanuka’s situation going to be based on Michael’s decision?
What is today’s date?  We kind of committed to this thing last year and he made some strides.  You know how it is, soon you could have an injury here, an injury there, and you have to get the best players on the field you make adjustments, but right now he is working to be a linebacker.

How would you rate your defense right now?
I wouldn’t rate the defense.  We are trying to play one day at a time.  I really don’t see it in those terms.  If we plug another guy in there it is just like if somebody got hurt in the middle of a game, you have to plug the next guy in there and you have to move on.  We have preached that to the players right from the beginning.  We had guys get hurt early in the year last year and I just asked the guys to rally around the guy that had to step in there.

Do you let your feelings get in the way of how to plan in regard to Strahan?
We just kind of wait and go.  We just move on.  We try not to lose a beat in all honesty.  We preach that in the meetings and if we get the players back it is great, but everybody gets paid in this business and the guys that are backups need to be ready to step in.

Are you happy to still be here after all the interest after the Super Bowl?
Yeah I was very blessed to have some opportunities, but I am very, very happy man.  My wife and I enjoy it here, I love the people I work with, the Maras and the Tischs have been great, and I am looking forward to this year.

Did your financial situation help?
It was a tremendous compliment and again, I am tremendously indebted to Coach Coughlin for bringing me here, but I do want you all to remember that this is not about me.  This is about a team and that is how we won last year.  I handle one side of the ball so it is about our guys on defense for me, but I am a very, very happy man.

How do you feel after seeing that a lot of teams are looking to draft pass rushers after seeing your defense last year?
Did you think that way?  I don’t know if that was true or not. 

That is the theory going around now?
I don’t know if that is true or not.  I don’t think that has changed in football.  That has been like that for quite a while.  I guess sometimes maybe coaches have a tendency to lean on what was successful the year before, but I think that coaches around the league and the personnel around the league are pretty smart and they have been smart for a long time.  It wasn’t like we invented anything.

Thomas’ injury history coming out of USC?
I just saw a good football player.  I let Ronnie Barnes and those guys handle the medical part of it and when they give a clearance I don’t even worry about it.  I just look at the player.

What is your hunch on Michael Strahan?
I have not had conversations with Mike.  My policy has always been that I don’t bother the players.  I have a great deal of respect for him and I will respect Michael on whatever he decides.  I love the guy.  I love being around him and what he brings to the team, but I want to respect his decision.

Is it a good sign for Giants fans that he is working out here?
I guess.  You guys will make that decision.  He is a special man.