The New York Giants and wide receiver Victor Cruz have been working on a contract extension all offseason and although the two sides have yet to come to an agreement, a new development may be a good sign for the hometown team, as Cruz has hired Jay-Z's company to represent him.
According to Pro Football Talk, Cruz is taking a similar route that Robinson Cano when he fired Scott Boras this past week, hiring Creative Artists Agency and their partner Jay-Z's Roc Nation to represent him overall and to handle his management. Cruz previously fired his agent and hired Tom Condon from CAA, which is another good sign for the Giants, as Condon is the agent for Eli Manning and Mathias Kiwanuka.
Cruz is looking for a long-term deal with the Giants and he feels that he should be paid as a top receiver after making over 160 catches and gaining over 2,600 yards receiving with 19 touchdowns over the past two years. Cruz has developed a relationship with Eli Manning and the Giants want to keep both him and Hakeem Nicks at wide receiver for the next few years at least.
The report from Pro Football Talk says that speculation is true and that Cruz will be joining along with Cano. Jay-Z is a very "New York" guy and he is one of the most recognizable figures in entertainment and the fact that he has signed two New York players bodes well for those two staying in New York for the long term.
"I don't want to let the cat out of the bag just yet," Cruz said in October, according to USA Today. "The bag is now open, and the cat is getting ready to do the salsa. While clawing the sh-t out of the furniture."
Cano's deal was a surprise to many, but for those that follow Boras and his way of dealing with free agency, it is clear that Cano was not trying to bleed the Yankees for as much money as he possibly could get on the free agent market. Clearly he was not on board with Boras' policy of always hitting free agency and there is a chance he would rather do a contract extension, which CAA does with its clients usually, including Ryan Braun.
Any team that wants to make Cruz an offer can still do so until April 19, but since that date and the draft is getting closer, chances are no team will be making a deal with him other than the Giants. It appeared as if the two sides had an agreement in October, but the talks broke down until after the season. Daily News reports he wants $10 million and Giants offered $7.
The Giants want Cruz back and ideally he would like to stay in New York, but since this could be the only major contract he signs, he wants to make sure it locks him up for the future. The Giants are the only team to win two Super Bowls over the past six seasons and their pragmatic approach is one reason why. Jay-Z, the Yankees and Giants will be thanking you very soon it seems.