Big Blue Breakdown Live: A Giants legend offers advice and an OTA recap

What did Super Bowl champion tight end Howard Cross impart on the players as part of head coach Brian Daboll's "return of Giants legends" program? And how is the team progressing?

Sep 14, 1997; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; FILE PHOTO; New York Giants tight end Howard Cross (87) in action against the Baltimore Ravens at Giants Stadium. | Lou Capozzola-Imagn Images

Head coach Brian Daboll has made a concerted effort to invite New York Giants legends to practices this off-season, hoping they might be able to provide a spark that helps the team rebound from last year's 3-14 record.

"Yeah, it's something I thought about at the end of the season ... to bring some guys in, " Daboll said recently. "Give a good message about what it means to be a Giant for them and some different things that hopefully mean something to our players.

"Obviously a lot of legends that have played the game for this organization - and [were] tremendous football players in the National Football League ... I have a good relationship with a lot of those guys throughout my time here and they're willing to come in and talk to those young guys. I think it's beneficial for them"

Super Bowl XXV champion Howard Cross, who is one of just four players to have played at least 200 games with the Giants and has spent nearly 20 years as the team's radio sideline reporter, was one such legend to get a call from Daboll.

Cross will discuss how he addressed the players, what they might gain from Daboll's eagerness to get the Giants' alumni involved, and what the revamped roster must do to improve when the retired tight end joins of the Big Blue Breakdown LIve on YouTube on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.

Host Paul Dottino will also recap the second open practice of the Organized Team Activities and corresponding media sessions, and will take viewers questions via the chat and video calls (details for the video call in the YouTube link.

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