Howard Cross is a career quality starter — a tight end whose body of work places Cross in the top quarter of all players at the position historically. The Knox model values sustained contribution over flash, and Cross's career arc reflects exactly that kind of reliable professional-grade performance.
Season totals or exact team stints. Career totals count each season once.
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Receiving | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD | Ctch% | Y/R | Y/Tgt | AirYd/T | 1D | |||||
| 1989 | 22 | NYG | 16 | — | — | 6 | 107 | 1 | — | 17.8 | — | — | — |
| 1990 | 23 | NYG | 16 | — | — | 8 | 106 | 0 | — | 13.3 | — | — | — |
| 1991 | 24 | NYG | 16 | — | — | 20 | 283 | 2 | — | 14.2 | — | — | — |
| 1992 | 25 | NYG | 16 | — | — | 27 | 357 | 2 | — | 13.2 | — | — | — |
| 1993 | 26 | NYG | 16 | — | — | 21 | 272 | 5 | — | 13.0 | — | — | — |
| 1994 | 27 | NYG | 16 | — | — | 31 | 364 | 4 | — | 11.7 | — | — | — |
| 1995 | 28 | NYG | 15 | — | — | 18 | 197 | 0 | — | 10.9 | — | — | — |
| 1996 | 29 | NYG | 16 | — | — | 22 | 178 | 1 | — | 8.1 | — | — | — |
| 1997 | 30 | NYG | 16 | — | — | 21 | 150 | 2 | — | 7.1 | — | — | — |
| 1998 | 31 | NYG | 16 | — | — | 13 | 90 | 0 | — | 6.9 | — | — | — |
| 1999 | 32 | NYG | 13 | — | 18 | 9 | 55 | 0 | 50.0% | 6.1 | 3.1 | — | 2 |
| 2000 | 33 | NYG | 7 | — | 7 | 4 | 30 | 0 | 57.1% | 7.5 | 4.3 | — | 2 |
| 2001 | 34 | NYG | 3 | — | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 33.3% | 5.0 | 1.7 | — | 0 |
| Career | — | 182 | — | 28 | 201 | 2,194 | 17 | 717.9% | 10.9 | 78.4 | — | 4 | |
Career Value · VORP
159 career value over replacement — #591 all-time of 4,695. 13.3/season above a replacement-level TE.
Pick #158 (Rd 6) · NYG · 1989 · +39.2 vs expected KV-H
Fan Rating
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12 seasons · peak 5.7 in 1992
VAL (Value Above League) measures each NFL season against that season's league; the dashed line is zero — a season that added nothing above the league's fringe. ● peak · ○ league-best season.
2.0 career wins over 12 seasons · 1 win = 13.08 VAL
Best season · 1992 · +0.4 wins
Latest season · 2000 · −0.1 wins
VAL 3.0 measures each part of a NFL player's game in his sport's own currency against what that season's fringe players produced, converted to team wins with rates fitted from every team-season in the encyclopedia.
#100 of 698 all-time TEs by KV-H
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD | Ctch% | Y/R | Y/Tgt | AirYd/T | 1D | VAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 22 | NYG | 16 | — | — | 6 | 107 | 1 | — | 17.8 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 1990 | 23 | NYG | 16 | — | — | 8 | 106 | 0 | — | 13.3 | — | — | — | 0.4 |
| 1991 | 24 | NYG | 16 | — | — | 20 | 283 | 2 | — | 14.2 | — | — | — | 4.1 |
| 1992 | 25 | NYG | 16 | — | — | 27 | 357 | 2 | — | 13.2 | — | — | — | 5.7 |
| 1993 | 26 | NYG | 16 | — | — | 21 | 272 | 5 | — | 13.0 | — | — | — | 4.7 |
| 1994 | 27 | NYG | 16 | — | — | 31 | 364 | 4 | — | 11.7 | — | — | — | 4.9 |
| 1995 | 28 | NYG | 15 | — | — | 18 | 197 | 0 | — | 10.9 | — | — | — | 1.4 |
| 1996 | 29 | NYG | 16 | — | — | 22 | 178 | 1 | — | 8.1 | — | — | — | 1.9 |
| 1997 | 30 | NYG | 16 | — | — | 21 | 150 | 2 | — | 7.1 | — | — | — | 1.4 |
| 1998 | 31 | NYG | 16 | — | — | 13 | 90 | 0 | — | 6.9 | — | — | — | 0.1 |
| 1999 | 32 | NYG | 13 | — | 18 | 9 | 55 | 0 | 50.0% | 6.1 | 3.1 | — | 2 | 0 |
| 2000 | 33 | NYG | 7 | — | 7 | 4 | 30 | 0 | 57.1% | 7.5 | 4.3 | — | 2 | 0 |
| 2001 | 34 | NYG | 3 | — | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 33.3% | 5.0 | 1.7 | — | 0 | — |
| Career | 182 | 28 | 201 | 2,194 | 17 | 717.9% | 10.9 | 78.4 | — | 4 | 25.6 |
A strong starter career by KV-H: a peak-driven profile that scores 66 of 100, era-normalized against rec yds/g peers across 12 scored seasons.
Blend 64 × longevity 1 = KV-H 66· confidence 99%
Season-by-season quality (era-relative rec yds/g)
Billy Bajema
TE
88% match
1989 Draft ClassmatesFull class →