Wideout had one touchdown in ’16
The New York Giants said goodbye to Victor Cruz after a seven-year storybook run during which he developed into one of the NFL’s most feared receivers and a fan favorite, helping the franchise to a Super Bowl title before being slowed by injuries. NFL NOTES
The Giants announced the parting Monday as they released the 30-yearold Cruz and starting running back Rashad Jennings in moves that will save the team roughly $10 million in salary cap space.
The moves came about a month after the players helped the Giants get back into the playoffs for the first time since playing in the Super Bowl in 2012.
“Victor is one of the great stories of the National Football League,” general manager Jerry Reese said. “It has been amazing to see him grow from an undrafted free agent to a Pro Bowl player and one of our go-to guys during the Super Bowl XLVI run. He will always be one of the great Giants.”
Cruz has 303 catches for 4,549 yards and 25 touchdowns in his career. His receptions and yardage totals are 10th in Giants history, and his 25 touchdowns are 17th.
An undrafted free agent out of Massachusetts, Cruz grew up roughly 10 miles from the Meadowlands. He solidified his spot on the roster in 2010 with three touchdown catches in a preseason game against a Jets team coached by Rex Ryan.
A knee injury and a calf problem caused him to miss most of the 2014 season and all of the following season.
He made a remarkable return this past season but was limited to 39 catches and one touchdown, which was the only time he got to celebrate with his salsa dance in the end zone.
■ 49ERS: San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan added three new members of his coaching staff.
Shanahan announced that Mike McDaniel will be the team’s new run game specialist, Mike LaFleur will be wide receivers coach and Taylor Embree will be offensive quality control coach.
McDaniel and LaFleur both worked in Atlanta with Shanahan when he was offensive coordinator for the Falcons.
■ PACKERS: Green Bay receiver Geronimo Allison pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge.
The charge against Allison stems from a traffic stop in September in Manitowoc County. The next hearing is set for April 25.
Allison emerged in the last couple of weeks of the regular season with eight catches for 157 yards and a score while filling in when Randall Cobb was hurt.
■ CHIEFS: Kansas City promoted Brad Childress to assistant head coach and announced that Matt Nagy will take over as the sole offensive coordinator in a minor shake-up of Andy Reid’s staff.
Childress and Nagy served as co-offensive coordinators last season.