Will New York Giants’ Victor Cruz Ever Be The Same?

By Kyle Nault @KyleOnTheDaily on October 13, 2014

New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz underwent season-ending patellar tendon surgery on his right knee Monday afternoon, leaving many NFL experts to wonder if he will ever be able to return to an elite form of play.

For those of you who aren’t medical experts, the patellar tendon connects the shinbone with the quadriceps through the kneecap and is primarily responsible for the amount of bend in the knee. Although the injury is a rather serious one, I have some good and bad news for Giants fans.

We’ll start with the good news.

Statistics among players who have suffered from the same exact injury show that Cruz will in fact be more than ready to start the 2015 season. There’s no doubt in my mind head coach Tom Coughlin will insert No. 80 back into the starting lineup effective immediately upon his return and he should help contribute in some aspects.

However, now it’s time to get to the bad news.

It seems very unlikely that Cruz will ever be the same player he was Sunday night in Philadelphia or what he’s been known as for the early portion of his career. It’s quite obvious to everyone that Cruz relies upon his speed to create separation out of his breaks, and that speed just won’t be there after he fully recovers from his operation.

Additionally, there’s just no way Cruz can adjust his style of play if his speed deteriorates. He’s just too small to become a possession receiver, and might be relegated to a third wide receiver role in the future, as his play-making ability will surely decline.

The only thing Cruz has going for him right now is that he’s used to having his back against the wall. This man was an undrafted free agent who worked his tail off to rapidly become the No. 1 wide receiver for one of the premier franchises in football. He surely won’t let a mere road bump keep him down.

Kyle Nault is a NFL writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him Twitter @KyleOnTheDaily.