Giants sign former Pittsburgh DB Gay

The Giants on Thursday signed longtime Steelers defensive back William Gay, according to his agent, Jerrold Colton.

Gay, 33, is experienced in the slot and will try to help replace Dominique RodgersCromartie, whom the team released in early March.

Gay has played in 176 consecutive regular season games, the longest active streak in the NFL among defensive players. He has a pre-existing relationship with new Giants assistant DB coach Deshea Townsend. They were Steelers teammates from 2007-09, and Gay played for Townsend in Arizona in 2012 when Townsend was the Cardinals’ assistant DB coach.

Gay’s former Steelers teammate Bryant McFadden, now an NFL analyst, first reported Gay’s visit to the Giants on Thursday. — Pat Leonard