Giants’ Cruz Joining Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports

Last month Giants’ flamboyant star receiver Victor Cruz dismissed his agent Malik Shareef and signed with the preeminent CAA sports agency. There is reason to believe that he was not just thinking of his new contract with the Giants, but was eyeing his opportunity to become the next celebrity athlete in New York to become part of Jay Z’s latest venture- the Roc Nation Sports agency.

Cruz is a restricted free agent, and signed with Tom Condon of CAA, one of the most prominent and successful agents working in the NFL. The dumping of Shareef and the hiring of Condon took place after a year of difficult negotiations with the Giants over Cruz’s new contract. A new, long-term contract never even came close to fruition.

Apparently Cruz is holding out for a contract worth $10 million, according to many, including Ari Glass, who writes regularly on his blog about the Giants, a sum that many believe is considerably beyond the value of this one player. As Glass explains it:

“The guy is reportedly looking for $10m per year.   He is not that good of a
receiver.   His numbers are misleading.   He is very much the product
of Eli Manning and the system.   Until injuries slowed Nicks, has benefited
from Nicks’ constant double teams and didn’t show he could lead them or catch
the ball when not open as a number one receiver should.   The
slot receiver in this Giants offense just gets a lot of balls thrown
there.   Steve Smith thrived and never produced again.   If Welker got
$6m per, Cruz should not get more than $5m.   There is only so much you can
spend at receiver and Nicks is the main man and his contract is up next
year.   They should spend the bigger money on him.   The question for
Reese is Cruz that much better then Randle.   Randle flashed as a rookie
and this year will be telling.   There was never a risk that anyone would
sign Cruz while a restricted free agent given the compensation the Giants would get on top of the contract Cruz would need.   They can have him for less than $3m this year and have another year to see if Randle can step in.”

Glass adds:

“What needs to be remembered s that every dollar they spend on
Cruz is one dollar less they can spend elsewhere.   That is something not
fully appreciated.   It’s not as if the Mara’s and Tisches are putting the
extra money in their pockets.   They are spending it elsewhere.   JPP,
Linval Joseph and Nicks all need to be signed next year and the cap was flat
this year.   There is a salary cap and you can and will spend a certain
amount.”

It still remains to be seen what will happen with Cruz. It is now his move; the ball, so to speak, is in his court.