CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Veteran leadership and a proven slot receiver.
That’s what 30-year-old Victor Cruz could add to the Carolina Panthers’ wide receiver corps that sorely lacked both this past season.
The former New York Giants receiver visited with the Panthers on Monday in Charlotte, according to a league source.
He left without a contract and plans to meet with at least one other team, but told Giants beat writer Art Stapleton of The Record in New Jersey that the visit “went well.’’
That Cruz scheduled this visit after being released by the Giants to clear $7 million in salary-cap space isn’t a surprise. Carolina general manager Dave Gettleman was the pro personnel director in New York when Cruz was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2010.
Gettleman knows what Cruz can bring to an offense, watching him go over 1,000 yards receiving in 2011 and 2012, and coming within two yards of that in 2013.
Cruz missed the final 10 games of the 2014 season and all of the 2015 season dealing with knee and calf surgeries. He caught 39 passes for 586 yards and a touchdown this past season in his return.
While his statistics were the worst of his career when playing a full season, Cruz told the Giants’ website, “I have a lot of good football left ahead of me.’’
“There is still a lot of miles left on this body,’’ Cruz added.
If healthy, Cruz would be a good fit for a Carolina receiving corps that lacked veteran leadership after Jerricho Cotchery wasn’t re-signed following the 2015 season.
No. 1 receiver Kelvin Benjamin admitted late in the season that he struggled in that category.
“I’m trying to grow,’’ he said. “I just want to be a leader and lead guys. I’ve got growing to do, too.’’
Cruz, 6-foot and 204 pounds, would take some of the pressure off Benjamin and third-year receiver Devin Funchess. He also would take some of the pressure off quarterback Cam Newton, who didn’t have a consistent slot receiver after Cotchery left.
Funchess can play slot or outside, but appears better suited to play outside in a similar role as Benjamin. He had only 23 catches for 371 yards and four touchdowns this past season.
Signing Cruz wouldn’t mean the Panthers are finished upgrading the slot position. They still need a young, dynamic speedster to stretch defenses, and there will be plenty of options in the draft.
But signing Cruz would be a good place to start.
Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.
