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| VICTOR CRUZ |
It’s a five-year extension on top of the one-year, $2.879 million tender Cruz signed back on June 14, according to Jay Glazer of FoxSports. The five-year extension is for $43 million and Cruz gets $15.6 million in guaranteed money. In all, it’s a six-year, $45.879 million package that will keep Cruz contractually bound to the Giants until he is 32 years old.
Cruz is expected to officially sign the contract on Tuesday.
The average of $8.6 million per year is not the $10 million per year bonanza Cruz was initially hoping for but it’s not bad for a kid from Paterson, N.J. who nearly washed out of college, entered the NFL through the difficult undrafted free agent back door and fulfilled an improbable dream by becoming a star for his hometown team.
This deal has been on the table for quite some time, with the Giants holding firm and not making any substantial increases to the proposal that co-owner John Mara months ago said would make Cruz “a very wealthy young man.’’ The Giants did not blink as Cruz as a restricted free agent hit the open market.
As expected, Cruz stayed away from all team activities this offseason, as he did not have a contract. He missed the entire offseason workout program, all nine organized team activity practices and the mandatory (but not for him) three-day mini-camp. Cruz back on June 14 finally relented and signed his one-year tender of $2.879 million, a loud-and-clear indication that he was not going to play hardball and stage any training camp holdout.
By holding their ground, the Giants secure the services of a popular and productive receiver and a price they can live with, a price that does not preclude them making a run after this season to re-sign Hakeem Nicks, the other starting receiver. Ideally, the Giants envision a Nicks-Cruz tandem hooking up with Eli Manning for years to come.
Cruz surprisingly made the Giants’ roster in 2010 but hurt his hamstring and spent the entire season in injured reserve. He burst onto the scene in 2011 and was a catalyst in the Super Bowl run. He’s been extremely durable – not missing a game the past two years – and incredibly prolific, catching 168 passes for 2,628 yards and 19 touchdowns the past two seasons. Cruz in those two years ranked ninth in the NFL in receptions, fifth in receiving yards and eighth in TDs. Plus, Cruz also proved himself in big games and he caught a touchdown pass in Super Bowl XLVI.
Cruz made the NFL minimum salaries his first three years in the league.
Cruz also established himself as a emerging presence in the New York/New Jersey marketing and social scene and did not want to leave the Giants. He figured his play earned him at least as much as the Chiefs gave Dwayne Bowe (five years, $56 million), the Seahawks handed over to Percy Harvin (six years, $67 million) and perhaps as much as Mike Wallace this offseason got from the Dolphins (five years, $60 million).
The market for Cruz never took off, though, as he’s viewed as an elite slot receiver and not a physically-imposing game-breaking receiver.
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