As training camp inches closer, the murmurs have grown in volume: “What if Victor Cruz holds out?”
The New York Giants’ receiver is looking for a new, long-term contract. But thus far, he and the team’s front office have been unable to come to terms. As a result, Cruz has yet to sign his one-year tender from the team as a restricted free agent.
If he does decide to hold out as training camp — or even the regular season — rolls around, who is risking more… the Giants or the salsa-dancing highlight reel himself?
The 26-year-old is coming off his second consecutive 1,000-yard season. He has been the Giants’ leading receiver over the last two seasons, earning a penchant as a major playmaker and brand in the New York-New Jersey market.
Has he done enough in two seasons to warrant a big-money contract though?
Cruz is, exclusively, a slot receiver. The NFL game has changed dramatically, making the slot position much more valuable to teams today. But he is still the No. 2 option at all times in the passing game. He has proven over and over again that he needs No. 1 receiver Hakeem Nicks on the field in order to make the big plays he’s capable of making. Should the Giants pay him like he’s a No. 1 guy?
Reports say that Cruz believes that the Giants should. But those reports also say that New York ultimately prioritizes Nicks over him. Many in the league would approve of the team’s approach — New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick included — noting that slot receivers (even ones as great as a Cruz or the Denver Broncos’ Wes Welker) grow on trees.
Welker, and his replacement with the New England Patriots, Danny Amendola, set the market for slot receivers when they got their contracts recently (both receiving around $6 million per year in their new deals). Even if Cruz holds out and takes a shot in free agency next year, he won’t get a better deal than what New York already has on the table (reportedly more than $8 million annually).
Certainly, No. 80 could lose a lot by playing on his current tender, which will earn him approximately $2.89 million. The Jersey-born star should be a surefire lock to get a nice deal after a third solid year in the Giants’ offense. However, all hopes of that big payday could be lost with one wrong turn in the turf.
But Cruz has much more to lose if he doesn’t play. The Giants still have plenty of offensive talent on the roster. Wide out Rueben Randle, while still developing, is an outside threat in the mold of Nicks. Meanwhile, free-agent acquisition Brandon Myers has a lot to prove, coming off of a breakout 79-catch season at tight end with the Oakland Raiders. If both have big seasons, Cruz could become expendable in New York.
That may sound ludicrous, but it would certainly make Cruz’s demands of $10-11 million annually that much more irrational for a slot receiver that is just one in a position considered to be a dime a dozen in the NFL.
Then what? Would Cruz accept the same deal next year that the G-Men already have on the table to him? Or would he venture out and learn that, because of his teammates’ success, no one else is willing to give him any more than the approximate $8 million a year either?
The reality is that both sides need to swallow their pride. Cruz may be a slot receiver, but he’s a damn good one. Better than Welker. Better than Amendola. What he brings to the Giants far outweighs what any common slot guy would. From a marketability standpoint — a native of nearby Paterson, New Jersey with deep Puerto Rican roots — he’s a goldmine.
On Cruz’s end, he needs to accept that he is not a No. 1 guy and doesn’t deserve a No. 1 contract. But he will still get good money, big money, so that he can support his family and never have to worry about another thing in his life.
As of now, neither side has come to terms, but Pro Football Talk is reporting that an agreement may be close. According to PFT, a source has said that the Giants and Cruz are talking and the next 7-10 days are “important” to getting a long-term deal signed. This report came just hours after Giants co-owner John Mara told reporters he was confident a deal would get done.
Unfortunately, this is far from the first time such a report has arisen and everyone knows how that turned out. Cruz will need to do something soon if he intends to play as well as make substantially more than he has in his previous three seasons. Come June 17, the Giants could reduce his tender to 110 percent of his 2012 salary or, in simpler terms, a measly $630,000.
With that in mind, Cruz and the Giants should work quickly to find some common ground and get a deal done. Because really, neither side wants to lose time as they prepare to pursue a third Super Bowl championship in seven seasons.
Louis Musto is a reporter and sports talk host for the Sports Journey Broadcast Network. You can follow him on Twitter @LouisMusto.