Giants fill in holes on defensive unit

And they might even try to lure Michael Strahan out of retirement.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The New York Giants’ plan to replace injured Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora doesn’t include Michael Strahan.

For now, that is.

Less than 48 hours after losing Umenyiora to a season-ending knee injury in a preseason game against the Jets, the Giants shuffled their defense Monday and moved Mathias Kiwanuka back to end from his strongside linebacker spot.

“I was told all along that if something were to happen that this is a position I could find myself in,” Kiwanuka said.

“I am ready to step in there and hopefully there won’t be a letdown at all.”

A 2006 first-round draft choice, Kiwanuka was switched to linebacker 17 months ago so the Giants could get their best 11 defenders on the field.

Moving him back sends the message that the Giants are not ready to push the panic button and throw millions of dollars to lure Strahan back to the NFL after three months of retirement.

“We are going to go forward with the players that we have,” coach Tom Coughlin said.

“And we are always looking for and searching for people who can help our team. And nothing is going to change with regard to that.”

Coughlin refused to speculate on whether the Giants were interested in Strahan, the 36-year-old, seven-time Pro Bowler who ended a 15-year career after getting a championship ring.

Strahan, vacationing in Greece, turned down a $6 million contract offer in the offseason. He has since signed to work on Fox Sports’ NFL pregame show.

General manager Jerry Reese said Monday the Giants are looking at all their options.

Jets quarterback Brett Favre, recently unretired himself, said the Giants should do whatever possible to get Strahan back.

“The guy still looks great, hell of a player,” Favre said at the Jets’ facility in Hempstead, N.Y.

“I would have done whatever to try to get him back initially, but now, how could you not want him back?

“Wouldn’t that be something, he comes back and we start a trend?”

Giants teammates doubted Strahan would return.

“As I know it, he is probably on a beach somewhere sipping on some pina coladas, so I doubt football is the first thing on his mind today,” said Justin Tuck, who replaced Strahan at left end.

Defensive tackle Barry Cofield said Strahan gave no indication he wanted to play again when he visited training camp in Albany, N.Y., less than two weeks ago.

“He has not been bouncing back and forth like Favre,” Cofield said. “He has been pretty happy. We saw him up here and he said he missed it but he was content. He has decided to go on to the next phase of his life so I don’t look too strongly into that [him playing again].”