New York Giants May Own Biggest Looming Roster Cut
By Erik Lambert
Eli Manning is confident about just how good this New York Giants offense can be in 2016, and it starts with his wide receivers.
Odell Beckham is the leading act of course. His numbers, which were astronomical to begin with have gone up steadily over the past two years. To think he’s just 24-years old and may not even be at his peak yet is frightening. Then there is intriguing rookie Sterling Shepard, who enjoyed a highly productive career at Oklahoma and is a maestro at attacking coverages both with his speed and his routes.
The sticking point of just how good this group could be though is Victor Cruz. At one point in time he was the rising star in the Big Apple, torching defenses almost at will between 2011 and 2012 while winning a Super Bowl. Since then though it’s been a tragic downhill slide. Here he is, about to turn 30-years old and hasn’t played a game since 2014 due to ongoing leg injuries. With each passing month, skepticism grows that he’ll ever play again, let alone be the player he was.
Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com listed out 25 names he felt were possible big training camp cuts that could happen. Right at the top? None other than the former Pro Bowl star.
"“The organization is rooting for him. His teammates are rooting for him. Just about anyone who watched football between 2011 and 2013 is hoping for a rebound from one of the most popular players of this decade.Sentiment only goes so far, though. Cruz already would be an ex-Giant if he didn’t accept a pay cut from $7.9 million to $2.4 million in March. The undrafted slot receiver tore his patellar tendon in 2014 and missed all of 2015 with calf injuries. There is no telling if he can ever regain his form, and the Giants aren’t counting on it. General manager Jerry Reese drafted a younger Cruz clone in Sterling Shepard, another versatile receiver with excellent quickness and confident hands.”"
There is no doubt the New York Giants are willing to play out the string if Cruz is willing to keep working to get back. They can still see the possibilities of pairing him with Beckham and Shepard, a dream for any organization that knows they have a franchise quarterback. It’s just can they trust his body to get itself right? Every indication to date hasn’t offered a rosy outlook. Seeing it come to end with an unceremonious cut before he ever catches another pass would be the bitterest of endings.