Greg Newsome II thrilled to start fresh with Giants and already has hopes for a long-term home

Greg Newsome II wasn’t wasting any time with one-practice-at-a-time clichés.Get texts from Paul Schwartz with all the latest Giants news and insights, exclusive to Sports+ subscribers.

On the first official day of his new, one-year free agent contract with the Giants, Newsome was thinking about proving last year’s dip in performance was a fluke and how to turn his new landing spot into a permanent home.“I feel like this is an opportunity for me to be here long term,” Newsome said.“There [were other] places that could have had a little bit longer-term deal, but I wanted to be here — and I wanted to showcase myself in front of the New York fan base, coaches and players.

I’m excited to start fresh here now, and hopefully we get something done where I can retire a Giant because that’s what I want to do.”Cor’Dale Flott’s free agent departure to the Titans (three years, $45 million) leaves a hole at the cornerback spot opposite Paulson Adebo.Once Flott’s price tag became too rich, the Giants pivoted to upside and found a 25-year-old former first-round pick eager to accept $3 million guaranteed on a deal worth up to $10 million.“I’m the ultimate team guy,” Newsome said.

“Obviously, everyone wants to be a starter.My expectation is to try to work as hard as I can to become the starter.

But it’s March.My goal right now is to get all the guys together, build this locker room.”Newsome’s best seasons were with the Browns, where he battled head coach John Harbaugh’s Ravens twice per year.

He had as many interceptions as touchdowns allowed (two) and held quarterbacks to a 66.8 passer rating over 14 games in 2023.“When I [saw] him having this opportunity to come here, this was one of my first places I wanted to be,” Newsome said before reflecting on the AFC North rivalry.“It was always a hard-nosed game.

That’s the type of person [Harbaugh] is.That’s the type of team that we’re going to be a part of this year.

That was ...