>>Holmes never faced double-team blocking<<
Not true. Giants double teamed him....
>>March 12, 2001
Giants Ready to Sign Holmes
By THE NEW YORK TIMES
hoosing last week between the free-agent defensive ends Simeon Rice and Kenny Holmes, the Giants eventually opted for the player who gave them the most trouble when they had to block him last year.
Over the weekend, the team and Holmes agreed to the terms of a five-year, $20.3 million contract with a $5 million signing bonus. The signing should be announced later this week.
While Rice's talent, splashy résumé and gaudy sack statistics intrigued the Giants, they kept coming back to their worried week of preparation for Holmes. In October in Tennessee, the Giants double- teamed Holmes throughout the game, but Holmes still had a sack and forced a fumble. A month later, Rice had a quiet game when he faced the Giants with the Arizona Cardinals.
Rice's opening contract request of more than $100 million over 10 years did not help his cause, either.
Holmes's arrival will mean the departure of right defensive end Cedric Jones. Releasing Jones will provide $1.5 million in salary-cap relief, which is all the Giants need to make room for Holmes. Jones, who turns 27 next month, finishes his Giants career with 15 sacks. Last season, he had only 3.5 sacks.
Holmes, 27, was the Titans' top draft choice and the 18th overall pick in 1997 out of the University of Miami. He has 21.5 career sacks, including eight last season. << |
