This will likely be an unpopular opinion to share on this site, as many fans still blindly back Victor based on the wonderful success he had several years ago. This does not take anything away from his incredible breakout in 2011, helping lead us to a championship, and his production the two following years. He will always be remembered as a great Giant during that time.
Cruz, having finally made his way back in 2016 after multiple failed attempts from a horrific injury, was the leader of our WR corps by default this year. Cruz, 30 years old, and self proclaimed "brother" and "best friend" to Beckham (24), as well as Shepard (23) , Roger Lewis (23). Any one who watches this team every Sunday, follows them on any form of social media or otherwise knows how close-knit this group is. And Victor, a seasoned veteran and adult by many years in age, was the default leader of the group.
Sure, Cruz played out of position a lot of the time this season. But he has lost (not 1, but) 3 steps, and is not close to the same playmaker anymore. In addition to his lack of productivity on the field, he has not made up for it by showing any leadership off the field for this team, and most importantly for the WR corps.
When Cruz came out publicly and complained about a lack of targets after the Steelers game
Linked here from NJ.com it really magnified his lack of leadership on the team. McAdoo was forced to answer questions about that and have a sit down with Victor the following week- Cruz does not have the current play-making ability to make a claim like that, let alone command of any type of leadership in the locker room to support a public outcry like that.
This guy is who Odell (and our rookies) are learning from. Yeah, he burst on the scene, overnight, out of nowhere a few years ago, just a kid from Paterson (and he won't let you forget that). He's always been about his own personal brand- which is totally fine, and his right, and helped him get through his 2+ years of recovery, and maintain his image- but he has basically been riding the coattails of Odell's fame and celebrity over the course of this year and last. He is always the adult, the veteran, the (would-be) leader in the room, but he has not shown it at all this year.
I felt this way the whole season, mostly related to his lack of production on the field- but demand for publicity off it, and demand for targets on it. This has been continually magnified all season, and continued through the boat trip (which I am not here to break down, who cares in the end)- but the fact does remain that he was on that boat with his (little) "brother" Odell, and the rookies on this team in Lewis and Shepard. And all year he looked like a guy trying to ride one last run of fame, sticking by Odell's side in the spotlight, almost trying to relive what he knows and learned himself in 2011- a guy being thrust into a celebrity image overnight.
Here is hoping (from my personal opinion) that we cut bait with Cruz this offseason, rather than making any attempt to restructure his deal and keep him around. I will always love him and he will be remembered a Giants legend for the amazing run in 2011, the Giants-Jets 99 yarder that turned our season on Christmas Eve, and many other memories he left us with. But right now- he is not a difference maker on the field anymore, and he is far from a leader in the locker room, which is EXACTLY what Beckham and the rookies need right now and going forward.
Ebenezer Samuel released an excellent piece yesterday which touched on most of these points. It's linked below. This excerpt below beautifully describes the idea behind the article.
It ends with Cruz, once the Giants’ heart and soul, selling his soul to stay in Club Beckham, never daring to serve as the voice of reason to his teammates in Miami, just as he was never willing to call out Beckham (or anyone else) in the locker room this entire season.
If Victor Cruz's time with Giants is over, failure to be leader will be lasting impression - (
New Window )
Maybe he did talk with Beckham about possible repercussions. Maybe they didnt care because it was nothing but a few guys going on a boat and nothing else.
Beckham has done plenty of things wrong. This isn't one of them. And nobody should mention Cruz in this story. That guy has never been a problem in any way. He's been great in NY.
4+5 WRs have to play specials and you are not going to spend $$$ on a #6.
**A note: The team got crushed but perhaps no individual Giant feels better than Tavarres King right now. His deep catches vs. the Skins and Packers were clutch and what the O was missing. But he was behind Lewis and Harris on specials, so as the #6 didn't play. King has momentum heading into the offseason and a big opportunity. Odell can make the WR playing opposite him a very rich man. King has real talent and may be able to allow the Giants to spend resources on OL, TE and RB instead of WR.
Perhaps the dumbest post on a dumb thread. Congrats
This wasn't even Pat Leonard.
I'm not sure if being at the Daily News makes a sportswriter a moron or if that's a prerequisite for employment.
I honestly don't know why we even have newspapers anymore.
Wow, that's a pretty crazy thought IMO.
Yeah let's blame the most stable player, outside of Eli, on the team for whatever asinine shit this knucklehead is spouting.
Stop it. Effin stop it. The trip (all 2.5 hrs of it) had nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with the game on Sunday. Holy crap I'd like to smack the living crap out of people who think a trip to Miami, on a day off, made Beckham drop a couple passes (and Shepard).
Grow up, Just grow up.
You're also correct that none of that changes what he did for the Giants in the past. Or how sad it is for us fans to witness such a sudden fall for VC. Injury is a brutal truth of life in the NFL Victor is done. he won't be back in blue next season...at any price.
Now we can all move on and simply reflect on his great years, his cinderella story and the impact he had bringing home a Lombardi Trophy.
You're also correct that none of that changes what he did for the Giants in the past. Or how sad it is for us fans to witness such a sudden fall for VC. Injury is a brutal truth of life in the NFL Victor is done. he won't be back in blue next season...at any price.
Now we can all move on and simply reflect on his great years, his cinderella story and the impact he had bringing home a Lombardi Trophy.
I don't remember ever saying this about any poster before, but you are a knucklehead. Complete knucklehead to blame Cruz for anything in the locker room is just ignorant nonsense.
I'll double down - who really gives a shit if they went to Miami.
Hey blame Eli, he is the heart and soul of the offense. Blame Eli. It is Eli's fault that the WRs went to Miami; Eli's fault why OBJ got crazy on Norman. What the hell is wrong with you?
Try be informed about what actually happens on the team you follow before running your mouth about other posters opinions. Thanks.
Try be informed about what actually happens on the team you follow before running your mouth about other posters opinions. Thanks.
Amani Toomer intimated there was a conspiracy to keep him from getting the ball at the end of his last season in NY. But no one brings that up now, even when he criticizes Shockey for being selfish. These guys are human beings... they're not perfect. That being said, don't blame them for someone else's decisions/behavior.
The problem isn't "leadership". The problem is they didn't play well enough in a big game, just like Eli Manning played like dogshit in his first playoff appearance. Let's stop making it about more than that.
I believe OBJ will grow into it, but this year it was an issue.
What you consider leadership is actually personality. They are not the same. There were long stretches where Tuck didn't act like a leader of this team and same goes for Jacobs. They were strong personalities, for sure...but let's stop with this false revisionist history about them being two great consistent leaders.
In that time Odell established himself as the best offensive talent on the team and arguably the best WR in the game. So IMO it isn't reasonable to place blame on Cruz for Odell's lack of maturity in year three of his career.
It's a nice rant but at this point Odell and not Cruz is the "man" in the WR corp and responsible for himself. Furthermore how do you even know that Cruz's presence didn't help prevent a Carolina like meltdown this season at some point?
Ummm... weren't those dudes on the team when Plaxico Burress was showing up late for practices, missing practices, and eventually shooting himself in the leg? Those things seem a helluva lot more significant to me than a hole in the wall or a boat ride on a day off.
Don't let the media convince you that Odell's "crap" is more important than it really is.