Signing his first-round restricted free-agent tender early Friday morning, Victor Cruz will return to the New York Giants this season. The star wide receiver was in ongoing talks with the team he won a Super Bowl with in 2011 and while it appeared as though communication between both parties had stalled, Cruz and the Giants can feel comfortable knowing they'll be in each others company for at least another season.
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The tender -- worth $2.879 million -- now gives the 26-year-old Paterson, New Jersey native some financial peace of mind since he'll now be able to play football, collect a salary and potentially resume talks for a long-term deal with the club.
Cruz has been instant offense since joining the Giants as an everyday player in 2011. In two full seasons with the team, the former University of Massachusetts standout has totaled 168 catches for over 2,600 yards and 19 touchdowns. Now that he's back in the fold, Giants co-owner John Mara can rest easy knowing Cruz will be a big part in helping the Giants return to the postseason, something they failed to do last season by finishing 9-7 overall.
"This is the right place for him to play," Mara said recently. He's a star in this area, he's an important part of our team, and I think we'll eventually get a deal done, but it's just a process that you have to go through. And we're going through it right now. There's communication, and it's slow but steady, and I think at some point we'll reach a deal."
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Communication between the sides was certainly slow at first but now that Cruz will reunite with quarterback Eli Manning, receiving partner Hakeem Nicks and head coach Tom Coughlin, it may just be a matter of time before the G-Men lock up their salsa-dancing phenom for the long-term.
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