Brown out, Dahl in as Stevie here and gone

Stevie Brown’s second stint with the Giants lasted one week.

The veteran safety was cut Monday and replaced by another former Giant, fellow safety Craig Dahl. The 30yearold Dahl, waived by the 49ers on Friday, practiced with his new teammates. The Giants picked up Brown last Monday after the Texans cut him.

The Giants like Dahl’s ability to play special teams — he had 11 tackles there last year for the 49ers — and he knows the defensive system, having played for new defensive co ordinator Steve Spagnuolo with the Rams.

“We just felt at this time this was the right thing for us to do,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said after practice.

Dahl is the fourth safety the Giants have singed since July 15, joining Jeromy Miles, Brandon Meriweather and Brown, and was part of the 2007 Giants Super Bowl team. He reportedly visited with the Raiders on Sunday and took a physical, but Oakland passed on him.

Dahl appeared in 16 games with the 49ers last year, with 23 tackles and an interception. His best years were in St. Louis with the Rams, where he played from 200912. He had a careerhigh 87 tackles and two interceptions in 2010.

Wide receiver Victor Cruz (calf strain) did not practice Monday, a bad omen for his availability for the regularseason opener Sunday night in Dallas. Coughlin said Cruz is running on a treadmill in a pool, and would need to practice this week to be available for the Cowboys game. Cruz has been out since Aug. 17 and didn’t play in a preseason game after missing the final 10 games last year with a torn right patellar tendon.

Linebacker Jon Beason (knee) practiced in a bulky brace. Coughlin is hopeful Beason, out since spraining his knee against the Jaguars on Aug. 22, will play Sunday. .... Defensive lineman Robert Ayers (ankle) also returned to practice and Coughlin said he “looked pretty good today.” ... Defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins (hamstring) did work on the side during the portion of practice available to the media. ... The Giants added defensive lineman Montori Hughes, who was previously with the Colts, and tight end Will Tye to the practice squad.

Nikita Whitlock was a question mark just to make the roster entering training camp. He not only made the team, but as Big Blue’s only fullback, will start the opener in his hometown against the Cowboys.

“It was exciting,” the secondyear player out of Wake Forest said. “The big surprise to me was I going to be the starter. That was a big thing for me. It blew my mind.”