It is that time of year in the NFL, where the rumor winds are swirling. The latest rumor we hear floating around is that the New England Patriots are interested in New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz. Acquiring the standout receiver would bolster an already strong New England offense and greatly improve a receiving corp. that is without the services of star wide out Wes Welker who signed with the Denver Broncos. New England has been busy in free agency since losing Welker. Having already acquired free agents Danny Amendola and Michael Jenkins, the addition of Cruz would make an already stellar New England offense awfully difficult to contain.
Adding a gifted receiver like Cruz to an already potent offense would solidify New England’s grasp atop the AFC East. The loss of Welker definitely hurt the Patriots, but the addition of Amendola and Jenkins more than made up for Welker's departure. Acquiring Cruz would be the icing on the cake.
Amendola fits perfectly in the Welker mold and will have no problem manning the slot position in the New England offense. Jenkins on the other hand is a tall receiver that is well suited to play as the “X” receiver in the Bill Belichick offense. Adding Cruz into the mix would greatly expand an already extensive Patriots playbook. Cruz would be an excellent fit to the New England offense because of his versatility. He can line up in any of the wide receiver positions. This would allow Belichick to get creative with the play calling and create nightmares for opposing defenses.
A deal to get Cruz to New England would be great for Patriots' fans but it may prove to be far too difficult to execute. The New York Giants gave the standout receiver a restricted free agent tender at the first-round level. Which basically meant the Giants were gambling by exposing Cruz to the free-agent market and only offering him a one-year deal for $2.8 million, but the caveat would mean the team acquiring Cruz would have to give up a first round pick. Not many teams are willing to give up a first round pick for any free agent.
What’s more new reports out of New York now have the Giants offering Cruz a long-term deal worth about $7 million a year. Injury concerns to Hakeem Nicks compelled the Giants to offer Cruz a long-term deal and keep the wide out in New York. Cruz would be making more than the other high profile free agents to join other teams like Welker and Amendola who are both making around $6 million a year for their respective team.
To make matters worse for New England Cruz’s agent is Tom Condon. The Patriots and Condon have had a shaky past. Condon and the New England brass have clashed in the past and not always seen eye to eye. Now that Condon is involved a deal to bring Cruz to New England may be that much more difficult to come to fuition. Condon also represents Eli Manning and has made it clear that he wants to keep Cruz and Manning together. While the idea of Cruz in a New England uniform may evoke a smile to the residents of Massachusetts, it is becoming more of a pipe dream with each passing day.