The Giants have reportedly decided to move on from receiver Victor Cruz, making him a free agent and looking for a new job.
Could the Eagles pounce?
At 30 years old, Cruz is not in his prime and has yet to show he can be the same player he was before he tore his patellar tendon. He finished the 2016 season with just 39 catches for 586 yards and one touchdown.
Top personnel executive Howie Roseman said earlier this offseason that he wants to target young players in free agency, allowing those players to grow with 24-year-old quarterback Carson Wentz.
Cruz doesn’t fit that mold, as he isn’t an impact player now, and he likely won’t be in two or three seasons when the Eagles are really ready to compete.
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On the other hand, however, the Eagles might need to face some realities that lead them to Cruz.
The Eagles don’t have a ton of cap space, with just $15.2 million currently free, among the lowest in the league. That number will increase once they release players, but releasing those players will only create holes that need to be filled.
Ideally, the Eagles would like to sign an impact free agent, and have been linked through various reports to Chicago Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery, Washington Redskins receiver Pierre Garcon, San Francisco 49ers receiver Torrey Smith (via trade), Miami Dolphins wide receiver Kenny Stills and, of course, Washington Redskins receiver DeSean Jackson.
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The cap space available might not allow them to do that.
Cruz is not a player to build around, but he could be a cheap bandaid for the Eagles next season, something Roseman also admitted the team might need next year. Roseman tried to address the receiver position last offseason by signing veterans like Rueben Randle and Chris Givens.
The difference between signing a player like Cruz, and a player like Jackson or Jeffery, is Cruz will cost a fraction of what it will take to land Jackson. Neither makes sense because of their age, but the Eagles realistically need bodies at the position next year, as really only Jordan Matthews can be counted on next season.
In an ideal world, the Eagles will be able to add an impact player through the draft.
Even after doing that, however, they will still need to fill out the rest of the roster.
Adding a veteran like Cruz, who would also bring some off-the-field leadership, could be a route the Eagles go.
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Eliot Shorr-Parks may be reached at eshorrpa@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @EliotShorrParks. Find NJ.com Eagles on Facebook.
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