New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin was in New York on Tuesday to sign copies of his new book, "Earn the Right to Win." Victor Cruz features prominently in the narrative, and Coughlin hopes his unsigned receiver will stick around to spin more tales in Gotham.
"I like to think that I can control everything, and that I can have something to do with making sure that something gets done that I think would be beneficial to everyone," Coughlin said, via Jenny Vrentas of The Star-Ledger. "And certainly I believe that about Victor. We want Victor to be a Giant until the end of his career, but obviously he and his people, his agents, they've got to make that call. It's a little bit frustrating in that you'd like to have it done, that's all."
The Giants are interested in re-signing Cruz, but he initially asked for too much money, according to team owner John Mara. Mara at the combine, however, shot down a report suggesting New York is more focused on signing Hakeem Nicks, who becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2014.
"Nothing has changed," Mara said last month. "(Cruz will) hopefully be back with us next year, and hopefully at some point, we'll have an agreement with him."
Coughlin might be tweaked by the process, but there's no way the Giants let Cruz walk.
If the Giants can't work out a long-term deal, a first-round tender is likely. That alone would keep potential suitors at a distance and ensure that Eli Manning isn't stripped of a major weapon.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
