Chris Faytok/The Star-Ledger — USA Today Sports
One would have thought that the New York Giants would’ve been able to lock up WR Victor Cruz to a multi-year deal by now. However nothing has been finalized and the negotiations have been surprisingly quiet. Cruz received an offer a couple of months ago, but he refused and is now looking for something the Giants may not be able to afford.
It was widely believed that Cruz wanted to be with the Giants for his career and the Giants wanted to keep him at all costs. However, we are getting a demonstration of the business nature of the league. It’s already June and training camp is around the corner, so things better be completed by then or else there will be legit panic among us Giants fans.
The Pittsburgh Steelers had the same issue with WR Mike Wallace last year, but he was expected to do that. Wallace didn’t necessarily show a great desire to play with the Steelers more than any other team. He was trying to get paid, and he did just that this offseason when the Miami Dolphins signed him to a lucrative deal.
Cruz, on the other hand, has shown he would like to remain a Giant for life. Cruz is from North New Jersey, which is where the Giants play. He also has the heavy Latino population in New York City, so he has become a fan favorite in this area. This will set Cruz up financially as well.
Playing in the biggest market in the country helps Cruz. He’s already gotten endorsement opportunities, and those opportunities will continue to present themselves in this market. Cruz shouldn’t be demanding a ton of money because it can possibly be made up elsewhere. Also, Cruz has developed great timing and chemistry with QB Eli Manning. He’d be a fool to leave that over money.
