New York Giants: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly for Victor Cruz

The ugly is that there just isn’t room for Cruz in the Giants offensive scheme anymore. This is just a harsh reality that fans will have to face, but it’s true.

After drafting Sterling Shepard in the second round in the 2016 NFL Draft, there was a ton of speculation around Cruz coming back to New York. Shepard came into the season as a heavy favorite to land the slot receiver position, a role Cruz has made a living off of, and did just that.

Cruz came back onto the field for the first time in almost two years, and had to play a different position. To most, the move from slot to outside seems plain and simple, but for a guy coming off a torn patella tendon, it’s not that easy.

Cruz isn’t a natural outside player, and that showed this season. He struggled with a lack of targets, and he had trouble holding onto the ball. He even resorted to saying that he wanted to be targeted more. That is something I never thought Cruz would say, but on a contract year any player is going to want to get a chance to shine.

The problem was Cruz didn’t shine. He faltered. His inability to catch passes allowed for players like Roger Lewis and Tavarres King to shine. In particular Lewis and King showed that they had sideline speed to beat an outside corner, something Cruz lacked this year. Plus with those two being so young, the Giants would save money they need to resign other players if they were to let Cruz walk.