Strahan on WFAN and Leadership within the Locker Room

 Michael Strahan joined Joe and Evan on WFAN to talk about the state of the Giants and team leadership.

Given his involvement on the leadership council under TC it would be interesting to hear his take on Phillips’ and Rolle’s comments. We all know how Strahan felt about Coughlin in the beginning of his tenure, going as far to state “I won’t play for that guy.” But let’s remember he his now a member of the media and he was very subdued in responding to questioning on the voice of Coughlin within the locker room. Strahan instead pointed to a lack of leadership on the field in failure to execute what the coaches implement. Yet, he points to coaching for the issues on turnovers such as tipped balls by the receivers and failure to secure the football.

This leads to question whether the front office is failing to put an emphasis on compiling talent that possesses leadership qualities as well. An interesting article by Dan Popmei discusses the NFL executive of the year, Thomas Dimitroff of the Falcons.  Dimitroff is a product of the Patriots organization as well as a few other proteges, like Scott Pioli, whose “approach is very congruent as far as building teams with character guys who believe in the team concept.” Or in essence “acquire players who have been leaders in college and/or in other NFL stops.” Over the last several years we have heard in the National media that teams like the Cowboys and even the Giants posses a lot of talent. Yet, “it’s easier to put together a team when you just put talent together. There is a lot more thought and rumination that goes into to acquiring players who fit into your team and your philosophy.” There has been a vacuum left since Strahan, Toomer and Pierce have left. If the defense of Coughlin and the coaching has been with the players’ failure to execute on the field and apparent lack of leadership on the field, then should there be culpability with Reese? Pioli and Dimitroff are having success.  But don’t look now- there is another protege on the rise, Nick Caserio. Caserio is currently director of player personnel for the Patriots.

Just a couple of players to keep an eye on, and mind, are Anthony Costanzo and Martez Wilson.  Pete brought up Costanzo’s name as a connection to Boston College with the Mara’s but Costanzo was a team captain.  Wilson “suffered a knife wound coming to the aid of a teammate who was being beaten outside a Champaign bar in December 2008.”  Soon after he became “focused more on academics and football after the incident.”