Victor Cruz just wants to play ball.
Cruz's star rocketed into the night sky during the 2010 preseason, disappeared for a year, then re-emerged to shine bright for most of 2011-2013 before injuries started to become a regular problem for the wideout. Those same issues, coupled with younger talent at the position in New York led to Cruz's divorce from the Giants. Months later, the receiver is still without a job.
"I just want to play," Cruz told The New York Post on Tuesday. "I'm just anxious to get on a team, anxious to play some football and anxious to see where I end up."
It's been a fairly uncommon free agency period for veterans who not too long ago were among the best at their positions. Adrian Peterson rode it out until late April before signing with the Saints, and Jamaal Charlesmade it to May before he found a job. Cruz falls somewhere below both of them -- coming closer to Charles than Peterson thanks to recurring injuries -- but it becomes fairly peculiar when one considers Cruz still managed to catch 39 passes for 586 yards in an offense that included Odell Beckham Jr. and Sterling Shepard in 2016.
It seems the guy can still play ball.
But who will take him? Cruz mentioned a logical pairing with his former head coach Tom Coughlin, who's now running things from an executive level in Jacksonville, but there might not be any room at the inn with the Jaguars already trotting out Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns and Marqise Lee, as well as new draft selection Dede Westbrook. Cruz's motivation (ring-chasing vs. check-cashing, for instance) could also eliminate some possibilities or open some doors, depending on which way he's leaning.
"I'm just anxious to see someone that wants me on their team and I end up being there," Cruz told The Post. "It's my first time being in this position, it's my first time being in free agency. After being on a team for seven years, you never know what to expect. I'm just excited for this opportunity, excited to be ready, and see where I end up.
"You have to always stay ready, so you don't have to get ready. That's always been my motto."
While we wait to see if Cruz will find a team, you can also catch Cruz on MTV's new show "The Challenge: Champs vs. Pros," which is about as close as we'll ever get to seeing new episodes of Rock N' Jock.
