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| Brad Penner USA Today Sports |
October 12 2014, That is the last time Giants wide receiver Victor
Cruz stepped on the field as a competitive football player. It seems like a
lifetime has gone by since that fateful evening in Philadelphia, but he we
stand on the precipice of his long awaited return. A lot has happened since
then including the rise of Phenom wide out Odell Beckham Jr, the changing of
the guard at head coach, and a new offensive system is in place. How this
affects Cruz in the long run is yet to be seen, but there is both optimism and
skepticism as to the potential end result.
Missing so much
time could have a profound effect on Cruz's effectiveness on the field. That's
not to say that he'd be completely ineffective because he's worked tirelessly
to get back into playing form. However, one will have to be realistic as to how
much we should expect to get out of him. The Giants were wise to provide extra
help on offense by drafting WR Sterling Shepard to make up for any losses they
could suffer if things don’t go as planned with Eli's former number one target.
That being said, Cruz should probably expect that his touches will be far more
limited this season as younger talent has stepped in. Thankfully, he doesn’t
appear to have the same ego problems that plague most top receivers in the NFL and
is willing to share (and even give away) the spotlight and allow them to shine
or continue to shine (in the case of Beckham). That will play an enormous role
in the comradery of the receiving core that will welcome Cruz’s leadership into
the picture.
With so much on the line this season, the expectations for Victor
Cruz are going to be pretty high. Whether or not he can meet them will be
completely up what he accomplishes in between the lines. One things for
certain, all of Giants nation will be watching with bated breath for the return
of one of its favorite football sons.
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