Cruz-in With Coughlin?
By Adam McCarty
The Jaguars new Vice President of Football Operations Tom Coughlin not too long ago was the Head Coach for the New York Giants. During this time he helped discover an undrafted free agent player that became a household name. Today that player sits in free agency looking for a new home, possibly the same destination as Coughlin.
The Rise and the Fall of the Salsa
| Six years the New York Giants had a spectacular campaign that led to Tom Coughlin’s second Super Bowl title in his coaching career. One of the biggest contributors to this accomplishment was an undrafted free agent wide receiver by the name of Victor Cruz. Cruz took the league by storm with his breakout season in which he totaled 1,536 receiving yards and 9 receiving touchdowns. It did not take long for the salsa dancing celebration in the end zone to captivate the entire NFL. Along with the incredible season, Cruz had a storybook ending with a Super Bowl XLVI championship over the New England Patriots. | ||
| Following the 2011 Super Bowl season Cruz continued to succeed the following two seasons with a total of 2,190 receiving yards and 4 receiving touchdowns in 30 games. New York’s slot receiver was one of the hottest names in the NFL over this three year stretch, unfortunately it came to a halting end once injuries and new talent swept him from glory. In 2014 he played in 6 games only before an unfortunate tear of the patellar tendon in his right knee which forced him out for the remainder of the season. | ||
| The woes of the Giants quickly parted as newly drafted wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr took the league by storm after an unbelievable catch and fantastic statistics the rest of the year. The arrival of Beckham Jr. and season ending calf surgery in 2015 ultimately led to Cruz being forgotten. In 2016 the Giants had a change at the helm as Coughlin left the team and took the season off from football. Of course Cruz attempted to make a comeback last season, but another new face, rookie Sterling Shepard, took away from Cruz’s reception total. Now Victor Cruz finds himself in free agency looking for a new home and Jacksonville could be a possible spot. |
Jaguars Search For Offensive Veteran Leads To Cruz
Defensively the Jaguars made it clear that they wanted some talented veterans to come in to help bolster the unit, while also being able to lend some leadership to a young squad. As for the offense they only added one veteran when they traded for offensive tackle Branden Albert. Even with Albert and longtime Jaguar Marcedes Lewis, there is no veteran (offensively) with experience on a successful team. This is exactly where the need for Cruz comes in.
Victor Cruz and Tom Coughlin have the history in place already as Coughlin gave him his chance in the NFL. Coming to the Jaguars, Cruz would know he isn’t here to become the star he once was but a leader to this young group of NFL pass catchers. Furthermore he would be the only player on the Jaguars roster with a Super Bowl ring and the experience of how to be the “guy”. Jacksonvile has plenty of “guys”, most notably the Allen duo. The most notable and well known of the bunch is 2015 Pro Bowler Allen Robinson.
Even with the knowledge of the wide receiver position, Cruz could potentially help the piece of the puzzle with the most uncertainty. That is of course the highly scrutinized quarterback Blake Bortles. Bortles is somewhat similar in the way Cruz’s old two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Eli Manning is in terms of taking care of the football. Both Bortles and Manning have led the league in turnovers at least once and both have the luxury of a tremendous group of wide receivers. Cruz can talk to Bortles about how to get over those struggles and use his experience with Manning as a way to motivate him.
The Feeling Is Mutual?
"“I’m all for it. Any time you know someone and you know a coach like Coach Coughlin and you know his pedigree and what he’s about, for him to be on another team, you’re always for that opportunity.”"
That quote was from Cruz at a Charity event in Midtown New York when asked about playing for the Jaguars. It seems that there is a positive sense of wanting to play for the Jaguars thanks to Coughlin taking on his new role in the organization. There may be one other team that truly poses a threat to him heading to Florida. That team is the wide receiver desperate Baltimore Ravens.
Cruz has set up a date to visit the Jaguars on May 23 and it appears to be the only date set in stone as of now. Now reports of Cruz and the Ravens having mutual interest it could potentially put a damper in him reuniting with Coughlin. Unlike the Jaguars, the Ravens have little to no depth at the position. With potential to be in the lineup more often in Baltimore, it could cause him to choose playing time over the probable veteran role in Jacksonville.
The need for Cruz is not one to fret over for the Jaguars, its more of a commodity to have someone with his experience to teach the young players. Cruz is not in the market for a large contract and knows that. One way or another I’d bet that Cruz will be on the field in either black and teal or purple and black come September 23rd in London.