(Geoff Burke/USA Today Sports)
Contract negotiations on the NFL level may as well be in Greek, and Victor Cruz may as well be some sort of newt at this point as far as I know. Wait, did I just call New York Giants’ star wide receiver Cruz an amphibian? Let me explain.
Currently, the Giants have extended a tender equivalent just under $3 million a year to Cruz who is a restricted free agent. The tender, where do they come up with these terms, weakly ties Cruz to the organization, but he won’t sign it. The Giants then offered a multi-year $7 million per season contract, but Cruz is holding out for $10 million per season. Because of the tender he can work out with the Giants, but hopefully he’ll have a deal before then. Cruz has been spotted at the training facility by Giants’ punter Steve Weatherford in a humorous instagram post , but not on the field for voluntary workouts.
Essentially, these negotiations are a game of chicken. While Cruz sits and waits, the Giants are trying out some new wide receivers. If the team can find a replacement for the speedy playmaker then they may find themselves in a stronger negotiation position. Enter Virginia Tech wideout Marcus Davis.
At 6’3” 233lbs with large hands, Davis has been compared to Dallas Cowboys’ receiver Dez Bryant. Davis is a former quarterback who moved to wide receiver during the start of his college career and has a history of injuries, e.g. shoulder, foot, forcing him to redshirt a season of college ball. Davis has considerable skills to be an NFL starter according to his NFL draft profile. In all likelihood, Davis is a developmental project to be groomed by the organization into a future starter.
The longer contract negotiations drag out with Cruz and the Giants, the more it’ll affect the team, and the more likely Rueben Randle will take more snaps with Giant quarterback Eli Manning during training camp. It will be interesting how all of this will play out considering the type of player Cruz has become. The question is are the Giants willing to show him the money?
