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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Tuck up to the task

Fourth-year pro replaces Strahan on D-line

Justin Tuck, right,  battling Alex Morrow during a New York Giants practice, has some big shoes to fill.  (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Associated Press

Justin Tuck sees himself as an athlete in space.

A defensive end by trade, the fourth-year New York Giants lineman can play almost anywhere on the front seven, and even fantasizes about playing cornerback and safety.

Around the NFL, most teams will see Tuck in one new role this season. He is replacing seven-time Pro Bowler Michael Strahan at left defensive end for the Super Bowl champions.

Tuck smiles when asked about taking over for Strahan, who retired in June, ending a 15-year career four months after winning his first championship.

“Other than the fact that you don’t have ‘92’ telling you exactly what is coming and what to expect, there really isn’t much difference this year,” Tuck said. “It isn’t like it’s a new position for me. I’m a starter now. That’s it.”

Tuck is far from an untested player. He appeared in all 20 games last season, starting two. He had a career-best 10 sacks and 58 tackles during the regular season. The Notre Dame product added 18 tackles and two sacks in the postseason, with both sacks and five tackles coming in the Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots.

Tuck didn’t adjust his off-season training after Strahan’s retirement. He played as much as “Stray” did last season and knows how to get ready.

“I am not going to change my game,” Tuck said. “I’m just going to build on what we established last year and continue getting better.”

Colts lose Coe for season

Indianapolis Colts defensive back Michael Coe will be placed on injured reserve and will miss the rest of the season after having surgery on his left knee last week.

Coach Tony Dungy had said Coe was likely to miss at least eight weeks and Indianapolis hoped to wait until the two roster cutdowns before making a decision. The plan changed when Dungy announced they couldn’t wait for Coe to return because they needed a roster spot.

Dolphins cut Feely

The Miami Dolphins cut kicker Jay Feely a year after he set the team’s single-season record for field-goal percentage.

Feely’s release clears the way for undrafted rookie Dan Carpenter to take over as the starting kicker.

“It’s Dan’s job to lose,” Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said.

Carpenter, a former University of Montana kicker from Helena made field goals of 41 and 49 yards in Miami’s 17-6 preseason loss to Tampa Bay on Saturday.

“The decision was made purely on numbers, on performance and Carpenter has outperformed him right now. That’s the bottom line,” Sparano said.

Cardinals’ top pick injured

Arizona Cardinals rookie cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was taken off the practice field on a cart after injuring his right ankle.

Rodgers-Cromartie, the Cardinals’ top draft pick, was hurt halfway through practice and didn’t return.

Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt said they’d know more about Rodgers-Cromartie’s condition (today).

Arizona drafted the speedy 6-foot-2, 182-pounder out of Tennessee State with the 16th overall pick.

Hanie turns heads in Chicago

Suddenly, Caleb Hanie is the most popular quarterback in Chicago.

Nothing like a good showing to make Bears fans wonder if he has a shot at playing time, even if it came in the preseason opener against a third-string defense. Hanie’s rise in popularity probably says as much about how fans feel about Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton as it does about his performance in Thursday’s 24-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

“I’m just trying to get my foot in the door, trying to turn some heads,” Hanie said. “I think I’ve progressed well up to this point.”

An undrafted rookie from Colorado State, Hanie opened a few eyes by going 9 for 16 for 101 yards and a touchdown against the Chiefs, while Orton and Grossman did nothing to establish themselves as front-runners to start.

“I’m striving to be a starting quarterback,” Hanie said. “It’s probably not going to happen right away.”