NFL

Giants Playing A Game Of Chicken With Victor Cruz Over New Contract

Ahhh, NFL free agency. That time of year when we are reminded of how selectively cheap the owners are and how disloyal the players are to us. If you’re not getting asked to take a pay cut, you’re being offered the bare minimum and told to go find a better deal. The latter is EXACTLY what’s going down in that lovable toxic swamp in northern New Jersey (also, animals are developing extra eyes and bodies are being dumped, but that’s not important.) The Giants have offered restricted free agent Victor Cruz a first round tendered one-year deal worth $2.879 million.

What the hell does that all mean?

It means that Victor’s new agent (and Eli Manning’s) Tom Condon, will get to shop Cruz around and see if he can get someone to agree to a long term deal worth a ton of money. Should he get such an offer, the Giants will have the option to match it, or let him walk, and in turn receive a 1st round pick. Something CEO John Mara admits may happen:

“Certainly, we’re taking a risk. But we would still have to right to match, and if we decided not to do that, we’re getting a first-round draft pick out of it.”

So why risk it then? Everyone loves Victor Cruz and his tropical swag and he’s a hometown favorite. Well, by not accepting Cruz’s offer, Mara and the Giants stand to save money by ultimately driving the asking price down for next season, when he will not be restricted. Still confused? Think of it this way. If no one bites on his offer, Cruz loses leverage in future negotiations. But that’s probably not going to happen, and both sides appear prepared for his departure. Here’s a ranking of his potential suitors. And in case you’ve been wondering about mutant animals, here’s a ranking of those, too.

Image via Getty, H/T USA Today