Well, that didn't take long

[Section 101 Steve]

Victor Cruz: 'I deserve to be paid more money'
Posted on: February 9, 2012 5:23 pm
Print Facebook Twitter Score: 152
Rate This Post:Rate This Post: Rate This Post: Fair Good Cool Awesome I Love It! By Josh Katzowitz

In real-life standards, making $490,000 is a pretty decent salary. In the world of pro football, it’s more like a “meh” financial reward, almost the definition of entry-level pay. For an outgoing wide receiver who was virtually unknown before this season and then exploded with an 82-catch, 1,536-yard, nine-touchdown performance and became known as the guy who salsa dances after he scores, it’s an outrage.

Well, not really an outrage, but after his glorious season that ended with a touchdown catch in the Giants Super Bowl XLVI win against the Patriots, Victor Cruz  -- who made $450,000 in 2011 -- would like a substantial raise for 2012.

“I think I was paid, you know, relative to where I came in this year and, you know, I came in as a free agent so that’s the salary I was on, so I don’t feel like I was underpaid,” Cruz told the men at Pro Football Talk. “I mean, I feel like after my performance this year, you know, I feel like I deserve to be paid more money at this point.  But that’s something I’ll let my agents and those people take care of and I’ll just go out there and play the game.”

I don’t think many people would disagree that Cruz deserves more money after his 2011 performance, but remember, he signed a three-year $1.2 million contract after he went unselected in the 2010 draft. He missed all of last season with an injury, so it's not like Cruz has put together multiple seasons of consistency.

• Tweet

[Stugots]

If I had 1500 yards in my second year I'd do the same thing.

[St Marys]

Me too.   Yes, he signed a deal, but things have changed alarmingly.   That ought to be recognisec.   Cruz's importance to The Giants is 'X'e times greater than what he's getting.

[ozz]

I thought he was pretty even headed about it.  Said that he thinks he was fairly paid this year.  Thinks that his performance warrants a pay bump.  Who knows how long his career may be.  I would be looking to cash in asap as well.

[T200]

Hopefully Reese takes care of him.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Hooper74]

Simple case of striking while the iron is hot. As hot as he was this year there's no guarantee he won't be just as cold next. Guess what the Giants offers to him then would be like.

[BlueMoshik]

Cruz was one of the best players in the NFL this past season.

Pay the man.

[UniHamachi]

Not only do I not blame him, but he certainly deserves a raise.  Besides rewarding Cruz, it's an incentive for other UFAs and low drafts picks to produce above and beyond. We knew this was coming halfway through the season.

And to be fair to Cruz, he humbly submitted his case.  The headline is taken out of context of what he actually stated.

And with the new rookie salary structure, this will be the norm to rip up contracts after a season or two of high production.

[Grime Time]

More quotes from the same interview.  He's a good kid. 


"I don't know what makes me so cool that they want me to do all this stuff," he said. "It's just a lot of fun. Anytime you win a Super Bowl, there's a lot of stuff that comes with it. After that, it is just being the same old you, taking the same old garbage out of my mother's house, doing the same old things."

"It is safe to say that I will not be spoiled by success," he added. "Especially when I have the type of mother that I have that won't allow that."

[FuglyStick]

Huh, imagine that.  He sounds like a professional athlete who wants his compensation to reflect his abilities and the value he adds to the organization.  Who'da thunk?

[goNets]

I'm outraged by the misuse of the word outraged in the initial post.

[tomeee]

I would question his and his agents IQ if they did anything different.

Pay both Cruz and JPP.

[MightyGiants]

This is the burden that comes with being the champion

[Zombo]

JPP is next...part of the deal

I think they can come to a reasonable accord with VC...it will sigmal MM's exit but that's also part
of the deal when the cap stays flat....

Hoping they can restructure enough deals to keep the 'keepers' and add some parts....

[Painter]

Cruz is getting facetime on ESPN. Whatever else they talk about, he gets asked about when he expects to get an extension and a big raise. That's simply how it is. He (and his agent) have to strike while the iron is hot. It's all about the guarantee he doesn't have right now. Cost is not the same as price; it's its opposite face.

Cheers!