Despite signing star wide receiver Victor Cruz last week, the New York Giants still need to sign Victor Cruz. It sounds confusing, but without a long-term deal in place, the Giants are in danger of allowing their salsa dancing sensation to hit unrestricted free agency next offseason, when a team with more salary cap flexibility could swoop in and sign Cruz to an offer the Giants are unable to match. The team has already offered a deal upwards of $8 million per year, but even that has not enticed No. 80 to put ink to paper and secure his financial security for the rest of his life.
Regardless, even through his extremely public contract dispute with the Giants, Ralph Vacchiano writes that Cruz has stayed in football shape by mirroring Big Blue's offseason workout program with New York Islanders director of sports performance Sean Donellan.
One way or another, Cruz is going to play for the Giants in 2013. He did not attend the team's voluntary offseason workout program, nor did he make it to mandatory mini-camp. Neither of those absences came as a surprise, but it's still imperative to know that Cruz has maintained an elite level of fitness during the offseason so when he finally does report, his production remains at a Pro Bowl level.
Although Cruz has significantly increased his media presence since he hit stardom, Donellan says that the star wideout has not lost focus on what got him to where he is today.
Victor Cruz and the Giants should have come to a long-term contract agreement months ago. It's a shame this soap opera is likely going to drag into training camp, but it's refreshing to hear somebody say that Cruz still has his head on straight and fully intends on being a top contributor to the teams offense next season.
A little less than two weeks ago, the New York Giants were going to make a run at former Pro Bowl fullback Vonta Leach as they had inquired about his services following his release from the Baltimore Ravens back on June 11.
With about $3.3 million left in cap space and the team still needing money to sign their last two draft picks, plus Victor Cruz, it looks like the Giants will not be pursuing Leach after all. And, at least at the moment, the likely front runners to win the veterans services will be the Miami Dolphins.
Following his release from Baltimore after failing to restructure his contract in 2013, teams like the Giants and Dolphins all showed interest, but as it was earlier reported, it always seemed like a long shot that the Giants would ultimately be the ones to land him because of their salary cap situation and Leach's unlikeliness to accept a veteran minimum deal to come to New York.
The Giants interest in Leach made sense because of Henry Hynoski suffering a knee injury in the Giants' OTA's and is not expected back until at least September, but that is if everything goes right with his rehab and no major setbacks happen. In the meantime, the team had shifted tight end Bear Pascoe over to the fullback spot, something he has done before in the past when needed.
With the Dolphins looking to close a deal with Leach by the end of this weekend, the Giants focus will likely turn to middle linebacker Desmond Bishop, who was released by the Green Bay Packers on Monday and the team has interest in him on their defense.
Back in 2007, the Giants had signed Leach to an offer sheet, but it got matched by the Houston Texans. In 2011, the Giants and Leach were interested again, but the Ravens signed him to a three-year deal. From the looks of things, the third time won't be the charm between both sides.
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