Could Victor Cruz Be A Viable Option For Cincinnati Bengals?
Victor Cruz was cut by the New York Giants, according to Kimberly Jones of NFL Network. Would he be a good fit with the Cincinnati Bengals?
Kimberly Jones took to twitter to announce the report of Victor Cruz being cut by the New York Giants earlier on Monday.
I'm told the NYG just released Victor Cruz. Source: Cruz "is OK."
— Kim Jones (@KimJonesSports) February 13, 2017
The Bengals could lose their number two receiver, Brandon LaFell, to free agency. A veteran like Victor Cruz could help Tyler Boyd and Cody Core continue to grow and mature into talented receivers.
Cruz was reportedly going to make $7 million in 2017 and instead of asking Cruz to take a pay cut, they released him completely. The Giants, who are stacked with Odell Beckham Jr. and Sterling Shepard, decided Cruz was the odd man out.
In 2016, Cruz fell to a number three receiver status with 39 receptions for 586 yards and only one touchdown. This was coming off of a serious torn pectoral muscle in which he missed a season and a half of football.
Why Make The Move?
The 30-year-old brings veteran leadership, very little drama, and solid playing skills. His last near complete season, before 2016, was in 2013. He tallied 998 yards on 73 receptions and four touchdowns. He has not had a terrible career and with players like Beckham Jr. and Shepard, it was clear his time was up.
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If the Bengals were to sign him to a contract, he could help. He has been in big playoff situations before, which includes collecting a Super Bowl ring. That’s something the Bengals have yet to taste in 26 years.
Helping young players like Boyd and Core is also something he has experience in. He took both Beckham Jr. and Shepard under his wing and helped them mature into a dangerous duo. He might even be able to help A.J. Green refine his game just enough to fill that missing link.
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The price might come cheaper with LaFell. But, that still could be steep for this organization. If they were to get a player like Cruz or keep LaFell, 2017 could be a different kind of year.