Victor Cruz is not going anywhere.
What was pretty much already known became fact yesterday, as the deadline for him to sign an offer sheet during the restricted free agency period expired at midnight. Cruz, as expected, got no offers, because no team was willing to give the Giants a first-round draft pick as compensation and also come up with a lucrative multi-year contract for the productive, exciting, salsa-dancing receiver.
So, Cruz is left with a few options. If Cruz is adamant about hitting the open market after the 2013 season, he can sign the one-year tender of $2.879 million, which could allow him to play this season for the Giants and then become an unrestricted free agent — unless in 2014 the Giants opt to use their franchise tag on him. That scenario comes with a risk. If Cruz is injured he has nothing to fall back on other than this year’s salary of less than $3 million.
Cruz also can come to grips he is not going to cash in with the $10 million per year deal he is seeking and sign the multi-year deal the Giants presented to him before the start of free agency. The Giants will pay Cruz more than $7 million per year and guarantee $12-$15 million of the contract, which would keep Cruz in his hometown (he’s from Paterson, N.J.), where he has become a popular performer and where, now linked with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation team, his ability for off-the-field riches is great.
With the restricted period come and gone, perhaps that’s the spark needed to get Cruz and the Giants moving with some serious negotiating. The other, more contentious, option for Cruz is to stay away from the team and hope to force the Giants to ante up their offer. The offseason workouts opened up this week and Cruz, as anticipated, was a no-show for the voluntary program. Eli Manning said he figures Cruz will not arrive until he has a new long-term deal and understands the need for Cruz to use the strategy of “staying away and putting pressure to try to get the deal done.’’
Cruz cannot be fined for missing anything until the June 11-13 three-day veteran mini-camp, which is mandatory. General manager Jerry Reese admitted this week he cannot assume Cruz will be on the roster for the start of the season, although the likelihood remains high he will be.
“I don’t assume anything,’’ Reese said. “We’ll see. I can tell you this — when we get ready to play — when the season starts, we will have some good players out there. I’m not sure if Victor will be there or not.’’
* Rich Seubert never was drafted, but he wound up playing 10 years for the Giants, becoming one of their most inspirational players and one of coach Tom Coughlin’s all-time favorites. Seubert on Friday night gets the honor of announcing the Giants’ second-round draft pick.
“It’s cool,” said Seubert, who lives in California and coaches the offensive line at Mission College Prep in San Luis Obispo. “I was never drafted, but I think it would be neat to be there to be part of the Giants draft selection. It means a lot. It will be a memory for me and I’m looking forward to it.”