Life without receiver Victor Cruz is not something the New York Giants are interested in, but “frustrating” contract talks are not currently telling a very promising story.
“I like to think that I can control everything, and that I can have something to do with making sure that something gets done that I think would be beneficial to everyone,” Giants head coach Tom Coughlin said (via the Star-Ledger) before a signing for his new book “Earn the Right to Win. “And certainly I believe that about Victor. We want Victor to be a Giant until the end of his career, but obviously he and his people, his agents, they’ve got to make that call. It’s a little bit frustrating in that you’d like to have it done, that’s all.”
Unfortunately, a deal has yet to be struck and Cruz is set to hit the market. The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on NFL Access that “several” teams are interested in the 26-year-old (h/t Dan Benton of Giants101). At this point, however, this report can’t be looked at as anything more than an attempt to stir up the presses.
Cruz has posted two consecutive seasons with over 1,000 yards receiving for the Giants. He has become quarterback Eli Manning’s most dependable red-zone target with 19 touchdowns over the last two years. He made his first Pro Bowl appearance this past season and set a record with 10 catches in the game, including a nine-yard score that resulted in his trademark salsa-dancing celebration.
As a restricted free agent, the Giants have until Tuesday to place a tender on the undrafted star. A first-round tender would guarantee Cruz $2.9 million in 2013. A team willing to sign him would have to offer the Giants a first-round draft pick, but the Giants retain the right to match any offer made to him.
All likelihood says Cruz will be back in New York one way or another. If the Giants feared otherwise, they probably would have used the franchise tag to ensure they’d have him back in 2013 with more time to work out a deal.
The case of wide out Mike Wallace last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers has become a popular comparison to the ongoing talks between Cruz and the Giants. Though teams did show interest — the San Francisco 49ers being the most notable of those teams — the risk was not worth the reward and Wallace returned to Pittsburgh for 2012.
Of course, Giants fans are hopeful things will not get quite as ugly as they did in the Wallace situation. Cruz is popular with fans of Big Blue… his hometown roots are in nearby Paterson, just an 18 minute drive from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.
There’s no need to hit the panic button just yet. The fact that the Giants have yet to place a tender on Cruz could be an indication that contract talks are actually closer than they appear.
Louis Musto is a writer for the Sports Journey Broadcasting Network. You can follow him on Twitter @LouisMusto.