As the New York Giants continue on with their offseason moves, one thing remains to be done, sign Victor Cruz. The restricted free agent wide receiver still sits without his requested new contract from the Giants, something that may or may not get done. While restricted free agents almost never end up leaving the team during the offseason, the two sides are unable to negotiate a new deal. The longer Cruz remains without a deal, the more likely it is that he will not return to the Giants. sources report the Giants are now not likely to offer Cruz the contract he is currently requesting.
Money is the factor, as it is with every offseason riff. Cruz wants to be paid like the No. 1 wide receiver, looking for a deal that would earn him upwards of $10-11 million this season. Meanwhile, the Giants are still trying to determine the overall worth of Cruz, offering him a deal worth around $7-8 million. This leaves the two parties not seeing eye-to-eye.
In an effort to prevent Cruz from jumping ship, they placed a first-round tender on him worth a non-guaranteed $2.879 million. It is unlikely any team will make a go at him before the April 9 deadline. Cruz is no longer the NFL's best kept secret wide receiver. He garnered over 2,628 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns in two seasons with the team, earning All-Pro status. He set a single-season franchise record with 1,536 yards in 2011, leading the Giants to a Super Bowl victory. However, that does not mean another team will make an offer on him with the restrictions placed upon him.
So what happens if Cruz does not sign a new contract with the Giants or get an offer from another team by the deadline? He will be forced to play for the tender offer during the 2013 season. The Giants will then likely franchise him for the 2014 season, earning Cruz around $11 million for the season. By then, it will be anyone's guess what Cruz's future holds.
Can the Giants survive life without Cruz? While the team managed to get over the losses of receivers like Steve Smith and Mario Manningham, Cruz has proven to be a key weapon to the Giants' offense. New York cannot afford to overpay Cruz considering they will soon have to deal with the contracts of Hakeem Nicks and Jason Pierre-Paul, but they cannot afford to let him walk either.
