NEW YORK — It has been exactly one month since the Giants’ since ended with a 38-13 loss to the Packers in the playoffs. It has been the same amount of time since wide receiver Victor Cruz has spoken to any of the team’s brass.
While players typically make a clean break after the season, Cruz is in a unique position. The 30-year-old has a prohibitive $9.4 salary cap hit next season.
Victor Cruz: ‘The goal it to remain in a Giants’ uniform’
The Giants assuredly will either release or renegotiate a more team-friendly deal with Cruz before he collects a $1 million roster bonus on March 11. But Cruz still hasn’t heard a word from coach Ben McAdoo or general manager Jerry Reese since the season ended.
Asked when he expects to hear from the team, Cruz responded, “Who knows?”
Cruz didn’t even have a customary exit interview with McAdoo and/or Reese the day after the season ended.
“We didn’t have one,” Cruz said on Tuesday night before he was honored at the 37th annual Thurman Munson awards dinner to benefit the AHRC New York City Foundation. “I think due to time constraints Coach Mac kind of canceled all of the interviews, so I didn’t have an exit sit-down with anyone. But we’ll see what happens, I guess.”
Many other players, including free agents Johnathan Hankins and Keenan Robinson, said they spoke about their futures with the coaching staff and Reese during exit interviews. But Cruz has been left in limbo.
“I’ll just wait,” Cruz said. “They’ve got to make decisions, too, and they’re going to come to us at some point I assume. We’ll see how it goes.”
Cruz wants to return
Cruz doesn’t feel he needs to sell himself to the team that signed him as an undrafted free agent out of UMass in 2010.
“There’s no grand pitch,” Cruz said. “They’ve known me for seven years. They know what I bring to the table and they know what type of person I am and all that good stuff. If I need to pitch them now, something’s wrong.”
Cruz plans to play somewhere next season and he believes he’ll be better after entering the offseason healthy for the first time in three years. He missed just one game last season after being sidelined for most of the previous two seasons with calf and knee injuries.
“It’s a good feeling, to say the least, to come out and be able to begin my training in February and build the puzzle pieces there from a training perspective,” said Cruz, who started his offseason training this week. “It feels good to start that process in February and not have to just catch up in May, June and July.”
Cruz, who had 39 catches for 586 yards and one touchdown last season, hopes his offseason work will pay off with the Giants.
“I want to be in blue,” Cruz said. “Pictures on Instagram will look different with another jersey on, so I want to stay in blue. But I understand it’s a business. I’m just here waiting patiently, staying healthy and seeing what the future holds.”
Dan Duggan may be reached at dduggan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DDuggan21. Find our Giants coverage on Facebook.
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