New York Giants Rumors: Will Victor Cruz Participate At Minicamp
New York Giants Rumors: Victor Cruz is making progress towards returning to the field; could we see him during minicamp this week?
New York Giants rumors have been quiet recently, as the busiest parts of the offseason, free agency and the NFL Draft, are well in the rear view mirror. With OTA’s now over as well, the next event of the offseason starts Tuesday in mandatory minicamp. That will mark the end of the offseason program for the Giants, as the next time the team will be together will be on July 29 when training camp begins.
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Minicamp does not normally provide many story lines, but they will be worth watching for the Giants. Not only do they have a number of new players to watch, we could also see the return of an old one in Victor Cruz.
Cruz was rehabbing last offseason from a torn patellar tendon which he suffered in Week 6 of the 2014 season against the Philadelphia Eagles. That was the last time that Cruz took the field in a game for the Giants, as it has been a struggle for him since.
But, he then suffered a calf injury that he was unable to shake, suffering multiple setbacks. Cruz revealed what he was dealing with last season with the calf injury, as he was dealing with a rare injury that required his calf to be cemented back down to keep from popping.
As a result, Cruz has been relegated to the sidelines thus far this spring as he rehabs from the calf injury that robbed him of the 2015 season. It has not been easy for him to sit by idly and watch for as long as he has.
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“I’ve been patient. I’ve been chomping at the bit every day at practice watching those guys work, but I’m excited to get back out there a little bit more,” Cruz said. “But the spring has been tough just watching everybody and watching them compete out there and being held back a little bit. So we’ll see how it goes.”
The plan originally was for Cruz to be ready for training camp in July, but could we see him this week at minicamp? There seems to be some optimism that Cruz could return to the field earlier than expected, as he showed a lot of progress at the end of OTA’s and has done well thus far this offseason.
“I’m feeling good. I ran some routes this past Friday, some full speed routes and everything went well,” Cruz said Saturday at his foundation’s Father’s Day Football Experience and Skills Challenge. “We’ll see what happens next week. They might throw me out there with the wolves a little bit so we’ll see how it goes.”
Cruz is referring to when minicamp begins Tuesday, as he is hoping that he is able to get out there in some capacity with his teammates.
“Yeah, I think so. I hope so,” Cruz said. “I’ll find out on Monday but we’ll see. Probably start out with a little individual [drills] and take it from there.”
Make no mistake, it is a positive that Cruz feels as good as he does currently. It has been a long time since he was able to get back on the field healthy, so seeing him out there in any capacity is a good thing. But, the Giants should not let his confidence change their plan.
Cruz has suffered a number of setbacks during his latest rehab, so rushing him back for a minicamp in June makes little sense. The NFL season itself is a grind for 16 games, and it only becomes tougher when you add in a full summer and hopefully playoff games as well.
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Individual drills and work on the side seems to be what Cruz is destined for this week at minicamp. While it may be a disappointment to him, as he expressed his willingness to participate, it is still a step in the right direction for a player that has been hampered for the past 19 months.