Jerry Reese is waiting for the complaints. That's when he'll know he did the right thing.

The free-agent signings of Rocky Bernard and Chris Canty gave the Giants exceptional depth on the defensive line. Not only will they have four starters returning, but they're also adding those two plus Osi Umenyiora, coming back from knee surgery.

"Right now, we have seven guys who we think can be starters for anybody," the general manager said on Tuesday.

The Giants' philosophy is that they can never have enough pass rushers, but only four of the seven can be "starters" and only four will be on the field for a given play. Which is why Reese will be keeping an ear out for whining (although he said he doesn't expect it).

"That's a good problem to have when guys are crying about playing time," he said. "That's not an issue for me. That's a good thing as far as I'm concerned if we have enough guys that they're crying about playing time. That's a great thing."

Reese said there is plenty of football for everyone to be involved. He said that after watching the defensive line break down late last season, he wanted to make sure he had enough bodies to get through a season with "the pass rush that we've grown accustomed to having."

Canty said he won't be belly-aching about playing time. He sees the glut of players as a benefit that will keep everyone fresh and healthy, much the way the Giants used their rotation in their Super Bowl season.

"I think we can definitely attack offensive lines in waves and they'll never get a break," Canty said. "We'll wear them down. So I'm really excited to be a part of that kind of defensive line."

Reese said he expects all seven players to be on the team when the season begins in September. But there were also hints that this accumulation of talent may be a preamble to a trade that could make the Giants even more imposing.

"There are a lot of things that can happen before the draft, so who knows?" he said. "We may not have that many picks by the time the draft rolls around."

Notes & quotes: Free-agent safety C.C. Brown arrived at Giants Stadium late Tuesday afternoon and will continue his meetings with the Giants on Wednesday.