He hasn’t really been Victor Cruz in 2 1/2 years.
But one of the phone calls the Los Angeles Rams should make this offseason is to the former New York Giants standout wide receiver.
Cruz has been an ordinary player since suffering a torn patellar tendon during the 2014 season. He has 62 catches for 923 yards and two touchdowns since his return from the injury in 2015. Those numbers pale in comparison to his averages of 80.3 receptions, 1,208.7 yards and 7.7 TDs from 2011-2013 in New York.
Sterling Shepard has replaced Cruz as second-fiddle to the all-world talent Odell Beckham Jr., allowing the Giants to release Cruz and save $7.5 million in salary cap space.
Fansided.com even warned the Rams to stay away from Cruz, whom it says has the potential to be a bust similar to Tavon Austin, who has averaged just more than 45 receptions for 410.5 yards per season over his first four years with the Rams.
More productive options could exist among free agents DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon and Alshon Jeffery, Fansided adds.
Suffice it to say that in New York, Beckham talent may have contributed to Cruz’s lack of production. In Los Angeles, Cruz wouldn’t have a more talented receiver lingering over him.
Elitesportsny.com adds that the Giants will feel a deeper loss by Cruz’s absence from the locker room.
“Cruz was an official captain for only one season but was seen as a man to look up to throughout his entire tenure in New York,” elitesportsny.com surmised. “His work ethic to become great was something that his teammates, opponents, and amateur players all looked up to and respected.”
So while the Rams certainly don’t need another mediocre wide receiver on their roster, Cruz could fill two different roles in L.A., at the right price. He could produce a bounce-back season on the field because of his work ethic.
Cruz also could be a mentor to Austin and show the talented-but-inconsistent wideout how to improve his game.
It’s certainly worth a phone call to the Rams.
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