Victor Cruz was one of the great comeback stories of 2016. After missing a year and a half after tearing his patellar tendon on Oct. 12, 2014, Cruz proved not only did he still belong in the NFL, but played a key role in the New York Giants’ offense, catching 39 passes for 58 yards and a touchdown.
Monday they cut him anyway.
The Giants also parted ways with running back Rashad Jennings. Jennings too was a significant part of New York’s backfield rotation, carrying the ball 181 times for 593 yards and three touchdowns. Today he’s unemployed.
BREAKING: Giants have released WR Victor Cruz.
(via @KimJonesSports) pic.twitter.com/q94UTm6bQb
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) February 13, 2017
So why did the Giants part ways with these two players? Because they want to do everything they can to keep Jason Pierre-Paul from becoming a free agent. A year after nearly killing himself with stupid fireworks, Pierre-Paul looked like the pass rusher he was before he turned his right hand into a flipper with an M80. He played in 12 games last season and recorded seven sacks, 53 tackles, recovered a fumble and scored a defensive touchdown. JPP played on a “we’ll see how this turns out” one-year deal last season. Well, we saw how it turned out and now Pierre-Paul is going to cash in, even after missing the final month of the season with a core muscle injury.
What’s it going to take to get JPP signed long term? Probably $15-16 million a year at least. JPP is just 28 years old and now, after proving his rebuilt hand doesn’t hamper his performance, is right back in the big money years of his career. The Giants know this and they also know that if they let him hit free agency, they’ll end up in a bidding war with other teams. Maybe even a team like the Dallas Cowboys who is desperate to add some pass rush this offseason.
https://twitter.com/NYGDaily/status/831286142356041728
Don’t be too sad for Cruz. The former undrafted free agent has earned over $28 million in his NFL career including $6.2 million in 2015 when he didn’t play a down. Last season he proved his reconstructed knee could hold up in the NFL and should have plenty of suitors willing to sign him, though none for the $9.4 million he was due next season from the Giants.
Cutting Cruz costs the Giants $1.9 million in dead cap, but there was no way they could play a No. 3 possession receiver (which is what Cruz became) nearly $10 million. It just wasn’t going to happen.
Jennings too has pocketed a nice little chunk in his NFL playing career, $9.9 million. The Giants took a $562,500 cap hit for cutting him, but should get back $1.5 million in cap space or more. It’s hard to see Jennings finding another NFL team at this point in his career with so many younger, cheaper running backs flooding the league every single season.
49ers tab Robert Saleh as defensive coordinator
New San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan continues to flesh out his coaching staff. Monday the NFL Network reported that former Jacksonville Jagaurs linebackers coach Robert Saleh will be taking over as defensive coordinator.
Former #Jaguars LBs coach Robert Saleh is expected to join #49ers as defensive coordinator, source said.
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) February 13, 2017
Saleh and Shanahan worked together on Gary Kubiak’s staff with the Houston Texans from 2006-2009. This will be the 38-year-old Saleh’s first time calling the defensive plays at any level.
Saleh joins a staff still in progress and his Shanahan’s seventh hire. He’s already added John Embry (tight ends), Bobby Turner (running backs), RIch Scangarello (quarterbacks), Ray Wright (strength and conditioning), T.C. McCartney (offensive assistant) and Nick Cray (administrative assistant). According to the NFL Network, Shanahan will not be hiring an offensive coordinator and will act in that role himself.
Alabama’s Rueben Foster will not participate in NFL Combine
Rueben Foster, one of my favorite draft prospects in this upcoming class, won’t be able to participate in drills at the upcoming NFL Rookie Combine after surgery on his right rotator cuff.
https://twitter.com/NFLDraftInsider/status/831205217140080640
Foster will need about four months to recuperate, which should be fine for any NFL team’s work outs and training camp, but will keep him from performing in the dog and pony show in Indianapolis beginning on Feb. 28. I guess all the scouts, coaches and general managers will have to grade him on is the miles of game tape at Alabama going up against NFL-level competition and being the best defensive player on the field.
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