CRUZ-IN FOR A JOB
Free-agent Victor plans to meet with Coughlin and Jags this month
Victor Cruz may land with his old Giants coach, Tom Coughlin, in Jacksonville. Cruz, 30, a free agent, has a meeting scheduled with the Jaguars, where Coughlin is now executive vice president, per USA Today. Cruz’s visit with the Jags is on the calendar for May 23, according to ESPN.
Cruz and the Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears also have mutual interest, per reports.
Cruz, a career Giant out of Paterson, broke into the NFL as an undrafted free agent and caught 303 passes for 4,549 yards and 25 touchdowns in four-and-a-half healthy seasons as a starter and a fan favorite, factoring as a catalyst in the Giants’ 2011 Super Bowl run.
Cruz’s career was slowed by injuries, though, and while he succeeded last season in returning from a two-year absence from the playing field, he had limited impact with 39 catches for 586 yards and one touchdown caught in Week 1 in Dallas.
The Giants then let him hit unrestricted free agency.
Cruz helped Eli Manning occasionally as a deep threat but struggled to gain separation, playing out of position on the outside with Ben McAdoo using rookie Sterling Shepard exclusively in the slot, which is Cruz’s natural position.
McAdoo de-emphasized Cruz’s role in the offense coming out of the team’s midseason bye, which created friction and prompted a player-coach meeting after Cruz publicly voiced displeasure with his reduced role. Clearly Cruz believes he has not played his last down in the NFL, though, and more than likely he is seeking an opportunity to play in the slot, where he became a household name mainly with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2011 and 2012, with 19 combined touchdowns.