See it: New York Giants great Howard Cross latest to address 2025 squad
See it: New York Giants great Howard Cross latest to address 2025 squad
The New York Giants have had a parade of former stars pass through the doors of their training facility this spring to address the team, most notably Hall of Famers Lawrence Taylor and Michael Strahan and future Hall of Famer Eli Manning.
This week, it was Howard Cross' turn. The former tight end who played 13 seasons for the Giants from 1989-2001 and earned a Super Bowl XXV ring, has been a constant in the building for decades as he has been part of the club's broadcast team since 2007.
Cross delivered a message centered around defending one's turf. Having the distinction of playing for two of the game's greatest coaches -- Bear Bryant at Alabama and Bill Parcells here with the Giants -- when Cross speaks, he's worth listening to.
Cross is the only player to play in Super Bowl XXV and XXXV with the Giants. His 207 games played in a Giants uniform rank third in franchise history behind Manning (236) and Strahan (216).
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Deion Sanders Goes Off on Giants' Brian Daboll Over Shedeur Sanders Rumor
Deion Sanders Goes Off on Giants' Brian Daboll Over Shedeur Sanders Rumor originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Leading up to the 2025 NFL draft, multiple reports emerged about former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders and his attitude toward certain NFL teams. Advertisement After the draft, several more concerning reports came to light about Sanders during the pre-draft process, but one stood out above all the others. On Day 2 of the draft before the Cleveland Browns picked Sanders with the 144th overall pick in the fifth round The Ringer's Todd McShay revealed the 23-year-old signal-caller had a troubling run-in with New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll that presumably led to the team turning its attention toward Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart, who they drafted 25th overall. 'Shedeur didn't have a great interview with Brian Daboll in a private visit,' McShay stated. 'An install package came in, preparation wasn't there for it, he got called out on it, he didn't like that. Brian didn't appreciate him not liking it.' FS1's Colin Cowherd provided a little more context on the incident the day after the draft wrapped up. Advertisement 'Another moment — teams will install mistakes intentionally planted in the install, and they want you to catch it,' Cowherd said. 'Shedeur didn't, and [the Giants] called him out, and once again, it didn't sit well. It's like bro, there's not that many teams needing quarterbacks.' Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders with son and quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America J. Rebilas-Imagn Images For the first time since the reports emerged, Sanders' father and former head coach at Jackson State and Colorado, Deion Sanders, addressed the rumors on Asante Samuel's 'Say What Needs To Be Said' podcast, putting Giants head coach Brian Daboll on blast. 'My kids…you aren't going to catch them in no foolery,' Deion said. 'So when you sit up there and say something like he went in a meeting unprepared, like dude, Shedeur Sanders, who's had six different coordinators, who has still functioned and leveled up every time we brought somebody new in, and you're going to tell me he had on headphones? Advertisement 'Anybody who knows my son understands he's a professional. Like he's going to go into a meeting with headphones on? Come on, man.' While many analysts have confirmed what both McShay and Cowherd reported—four-time Pro Bowl QB Boomer Esiason reported a few weeks ago that multiple teams didn't even have Sanders on their draft board because of incidents like what reportedly happened with the Giants—other have questioned if the validity of them. Related: Shedeur Sanders' Browns Roster Spot in Jeopardy, Says ESPN Analyst Related: Shedeur Sanders Sounds Off on Browns QB Competition Amid Rumors He Could be Cut This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Evaluating Why Giants Shouldn't Trade for Kyle Pitts
Evaluating Why Giants Shouldn't Trade for Kyle Pitts originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The New York Giants will enter the 2025 season with one of the league's weakest tight end rooms. That isn't necessarily an indictment of second-year tight end Theo Johnson's potential or Chris Manhertz's effectiveness as a blocker. But with little proven talent in the passing game, it is among the team's biggest questions. Advertisement That lends itself to speculation when high-profile targets become available at that position. Recently, the rumor mill has revolved around Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts. As he enters a contract year, now three seasons removed from his lone 1,000-yard season, a change of scenery feels necessary. Some feel that New York is primed to provide that pivot. The Giants shouldn't trade for the 2021 first-round tight end, though, despite the weakness on the depth chart. 'Are the Giants in a position to pay for immediate help? They may be short on salary cap space, but Pitts' appeal, at age 24, is that he could also stick around for the long term,' Cody Benjamin wrote for CBS Sports. 'Head coach Brian Daboll would surely be OK pairing the big man with Malik Nabers, giving Russell Wilson an added safety valve for an offense sorely lacking secondary playmakers over the last few years. Assuming this link-up would extend beyond 2025, Pitts' arrival would also bode well for Jaxson Dart, the presumptive quarterback of the future.' Advertisement Cap implications aside, New York isn't a fit for Pitts. For one, Pitts is among 14 tight ends set to make over $10 million in 2025. There's a decent argument that he's worse than all of them, along with a few more on rookie deals. If the Giants believe Johnson is taking any type of significant leap in the coming months, then they inherently believe he'll be better than Pitts, anyway. In Daboll's offense, Pitts profiles as a rotational player, too. Pitts is a receiver in a tight end's frame, often playing in the slot and rarely blocking successfully. He's supposed to be able to stretch the field, sure, but is he doing that at the expense of receiver Wan'Dale Robinson in the slot? The best version of Pitts isn't as a safety valve. It's as a downfield threat operating as a receiver. That makes it awfully hard to coexist with Johnson, who the regime clearly likes, and it would take away from the versatility that Johnson's blocking flashes allow New York to tap into. Between injuries and inconsistencies, Pitts has descended into disappointment. There's a world in which he blossoms for another team, but neither the Giants' scheme nor timeline suggests that jump will come in East Rutherford. Advertisement Related: Giants Lag Behind in NFC East Tight End Rankings Related: Giants Schedule Reveals Potential Dart Debuts This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Giants Star Challenges Top Spot in DT Rankings
Giants Star Challenges Top Spot in DT Rankings originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Former general manager Dave Gettleman will go down in New York Giants history as a villain. Between drafting a running back with the No. 2 pick, trading the franchise's most iconic receiver, and signing several busts in free agency, the fanbase's vitriol is understandable. But it wasn't all bad. Advertisement In the Odell Beckham Jr. trade, the Giants received the No. 17 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Gettleman called defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and told him to get ready for East Rutherford. Gettleman was criticized for the move based on Lawrence's positional value as a nose tackle and (perceived) inability to impact the passing game. In recent years, Lawrence has put those concerns to rest and emerged as New York's best player. Subsequently, the Giants star challenged the top spot of Pro Football Focus' defensive tackle rankings, ultimately falling behind only Kansas City Chiefs lineman Chris Jones. 'Lawrence logged only 550 snaps in 2024 due to some missed time, but he recorded an 89.0-plus PFF overall grade (89.9) for the third season in a row,' Trevor Sikkema wrote. 'His 1.07 PFF WAR over the past three years sits behind only Chris Jones at the position.' Advertisement It has been easy to tune out New York given its struggles, but Lawrence shouldn't be taken for granted. He's more than a blue-chip talent and the center of this defense – he's a force multiplier and one of the best pass-rushing nose tackles the game has ever seen. Lawrence's 2024 was cut short due to an elbow injury, and it may have robbed him of Defensive Player of the Year votes. In just 12 games, he logged a career-high nine sacks with 44 tackles and eight tackles for loss to boot. In the two seasons prior, he rose to prominence and earned two second-team All-Pro nominations. Lawrence is a mandatory double team who amplifies his edge rushers and can spoil plays by himself against the run and pass. There isn't a nose tackle as potent in the NFL, and that unique skill set garners real consideration for the No. 1 spot at the position. Advertisement Related: NFC East Defensive Tackle Rankings: Can Lawrence Carry Giants? Related: Giants' Rookie Reacts to Looming Lawrence Connection This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
