Giants legend Victor Cruz talks state of team after it retained coach, general manager despite abysmal season

Less than 3 weeks ago, the New York Giants had power of the NFL Draft committee and tentatively held onto the No. 1 pick. Then, they scored 45 points, their astir successful implicit 10 years, and won.

The Giants are present successful enactment to prime third successful the draft, and galore experts accidental 2 quarterbacks, astatine most, are worthy of being selected aboriginal on. 

The 2 teams up of the Giants — the Titans and Browns — are apt successful the backmost market.

It was the worst Giants play successful a generation. Their .176 winning percent with their 3-14 grounds was the fourth-lowest successful franchise history. And, yet, proprietor John Mara made the unpopular determination to support some caput manager Brian Daboll and wide manager Joe Schoen.

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Victor Cruz of the New York Giants celebrates aft helium scored connected a 24-yard touchdown drawback successful the 4th fourth against the Philadelphia Eagles astatine MetLife Stadium Nov. 20, 2011, successful East Rutherford, N.J.   (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Firing Daboll, however, would person meant the Giants would person had, not including interims, their 5th caput manager successful 10 seasons. That's not an perfect process, particularly considering Tom Coughlin manned the presumption for 12.

And portion Giants fans whitethorn not similar the decision, Victor Cruz understands it.

"I think, astatine immoderate point, you gotta supply immoderate continuity, right? You can't conscionable support firing each coach. You gotta springiness immoderate guys a small spot of a runway to fig retired if they're the guys," Cruz told Fox News Digital successful a caller interview. 

Cruz said players, particularly the veterans, "love" Daboll, which led to Mara's decision. But they request to contend adjacent twelvemonth if Daboll and Schoen privation to survive.

"I'm not saying we got to spell triumph 13 games, 12 games, but we person to astatine slightest beryllium successful a competitory authorities adjacent twelvemonth truthful that the fans tin person a amended sensation successful their mouths," Cruz said. He adjacent admitted the tandem could past if the Giants "suck" again.

"I deliberation it depends connected what level of suck are we, right? How overmuch bash we suck? Are we 3-14 again, oregon are we 9-8? 8-9? Are we successful that mediate tier to possibly we’re a mates pieces away?" helium said.

New York Giants caput manager Brian Daboll connected the sideline against the Philadelphia Eagles astatine Lincoln Financial Field successful Philadelphia Jan. 5, 2025. (Eric Hartline/Imagn Images)

"Now, if we’re a three-win squad adjacent year, you gotta stroke it up, due to the fact that intelligibly it's not working. But if we're that mediate tier — 9-8, 8-9, successful contention — possibly a wild-card spot and we’re close determination successful it, past I person a antithetic taste. Then I'm like, 'OK, I perpetrate to them. Let's fig retired what we request to get implicit that past hump.'"

The G-Men aren't apt to sniff a Super Bowl for a while, truthful possibly the players volition beryllium throwing immoderate parties for the large crippled this year. Cruz is, and he's partnered with Finish Ultimate dishwasher detergent up of traveling to New Orleans adjacent month. The marque is giving distant a $10,000 prize truthful fans tin big the Super Bowl enactment of their dreams.

"As I’ve transitioned into my status and chilling and posting things astatine the crib, it conscionable helps getting the pugnacious stains out. It helps erstwhile I'm making food, antithetic nutrient is here, and we got those pugnacious stains connected those dishes," said Cruz. 

"Finish Ultimate is conscionable the mode to spell to get the pugnacious stains out, and I wouldn't usage immoderate different marque than Finish Ultimate."

The Giants' absorption is connected the draft, and adjacent if the Titans and Browns bash fto Cam Ward oregon Shedeur Sanders autumn to the Giants, Cruz would accidental thanks, but nary acknowledgment and purpose for a acquainted name.

"I deliberation we should get 1 of those seasoned guys successful escaped agency, physique our roster for different year, beryllium competitory the adjacent twelvemonth and past spell each successful connected Arch Manning the adjacent twelvemonth aft that," Cruz said. "Now, we accrued a squad done the draught and escaped agency. We person a twelvemonth of a draught to enactment the guys successful contention, to physique our roster to the close way, physique extent successful each these positions. … Then, we spell get a backmost successful escaped bureau and spot what happens."

So, who does Cruz privation astatine No. 3?

New York Giants caput manager Brian Daboll attends a quality league successful Munich, Germany, Nov. 8, 2024.  (AP Photo/Lennart Preiss)

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"I similar Travis Hunter. You enactment him with Malik Nabers and springiness him immoderate plays connected defense? Come on. It’s hard to walk that up. That’s that crippled changer I'm talking about. That's that feline that you can't crippled program for. Imagine a squad having to crippled program for a feline connected defense, and past beryllium like, ‘Oh, by the way, he’s gonna play 30 snaps connected offense.’ He’s a feline that tin truly bash immoderate bully things for us. 

"He’s a large personality. He’s a large kid. Gonna person a ton of amusive retired there, And helium and Malik Nabers together, seeing their energies and picturing that unneurotic not lone connected the field, but selling galore disconnected the field, those guys are going to beryllium crushing it successful New York City.

"And I conscionable deliberation that them 2 unneurotic could besides assistance each other, provender disconnected of each other, and assistance each different turn simultaneously truthful that they tin beryllium unneurotic and look each the ups and downs that are going to come. And they could beryllium the glue that keeps that squad unneurotic and keeps everybody positive."

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