New York Giants: Will Victor Cruz play against Jacksonville Jaguars?

By Nick Ziegler | Aug 18, 2015

The New York Giants have been hit hard by injuries this offseason already, but they are getting some players healthy.

Last season, the Giants lost wide receiver Victor Cruz to a tore patellar tendon, which ended his season. The loss of Cruz was a huge blow to the Giants, but he has been working hard to get back to 100%.

“We’ll pick when he goes [in a preseason game], but he’s done everything. [Sunday] he did everything [in practice] — we didn’t even have a … he and Odell both had a full practice [Sunday], and both did well and both are back ready to go [Monday],” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.

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The Giants are being cautious with Cruz for good reason, as he is a big part of the Giants’ plan this year and for years to come. For Cruz, being cautious has seemingly paid off, as he appears ready to play.

“I feel good. The knee is 100 percent,” Cruz said during an interview with WFAN’s Mike Fancesca. “[Sunday] was probably my most physically enduring practice, in terms of limitations. You know they have been keeping me down to a number of plays per day. {Sunday] was my most.

“I felt good. Woke up this morning, no injury, no pain, no swelling or anything. I feel like I’ve crossed that bridge.”

Now that Cruz feels 100% back, the Giants will likely try to get him into some game action in the preseason. The Giants’ next preseason is against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday.

Cruz has proven that he is an impact player in the NFL, as he has had a few great seasons. In 2011, Cruz burst on the scene by totaling 82 receptions, 1,536 receiving yards, and nine receiving touchdowns.

With a healthy Cruz, the Giants will have one of the best receiving corps in the entire NFL with him Odell Beckham Jr., and Rueben Randle.

The main concern for the Giants is the health of the three receivers. Cruz is coming back from a major knee surgery, Beckham has had some issues with his hamstring, and Randle left their first preseason game with knee tendonitis.

While Cruz believes that he can play on Saturday, his head coach Tom Coughlin didn’t confirm that it will be happening.

“Not necessarily,” Coughlin said to Raanan. He has to do things gradually, and he’s doing them gradually. He’s getting to where he needs to be, and his mindset is outstanding. We brought him to the [preseason opener at Cincinnati] for a reason. We put him into the workout in Cincinnati for a reason. He didn’t get a chance to play in the game, but he saw it. He was in it. He was involved. He was mentally involved, and he’s looking forward to going to the next step.”

The second preseason game against the Jaguars could be the day we see Cruz back on the field, as he would like to begin to kick the rust off.

Next: Who was the best Giants' player of 2014?

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