Earlier this week, Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz said he isn’t getting antsy about the fact that he and the Giants have failed to come to terms on a long-term contract.
Giants owner John Mara discussed the topic on Friday and shed some light as to why the two sides haven’t been able to come to an agreement. Jenny Vrentas of the Newark Star-Ledger reports that Mara said Cruz is asking for too much money “right now” and that “there’s a limit” to how much the Giants are willing to pay in order to reach an agreement. Mara went on to say that getting a deal done with Cruz “is a high priority, but he’s not our only priority.”
The Giants have a fair amount of leverage in this situation. Mara said they would tender Cruz as a restricted free agent if they can’t strike a deal -- the top tender would be $2.879 million and require another team to give up a first-round pick -- and the Giants would have the right to match any offer that Cruz might receive.
It’s far too soon to get to that point, though. Negotiations often start with two sides far apart before finding a way to common ground during the process. It might not happen before Cruz is tendered and may not be the done deal it looked like during the season, but there’s not much reason for Giants fans to worry about Cruz dancing in a different uniform.