Post by JABF on Feb 21, 2017 11:09:00 GMT -6
I don't agree with the article at all, but posted it FWIW.
LINK
Bears should go hard after wide receiver Victor Cruz
The 3-13 Chicago Bears of 2016 finished with the third-worst record in the NFL this season and one of its worst records in franchise history. The Bears need help in all areas of the field including wide receiver. The Bears should try to sign free agent Victor Cruz, recently cut by the New York Giants.
According to Nick Shook of NFL.com, Victor Cruz visited the Carolina Panthers on Monday. Cruz just wrapped up his fifth complete season and was a small factor on the New York Giants in 2016. He scored just one touchdown on 39 receptions and just under 600 yards receiving. He’s started just 28 of the Giants 48 games the last three seasons and has dealt with numerous injuries to his knee and calf.
Those injuries combined with New York’s investment and development in the much younger Sterling Shepard forced the Giants to part ways with the expensive, veteran Cruz. Shepard scored eight touchdowns in his rookie season for the pass-happy New York Giants.
The Chicago Bears are in a position where it’s hard to lure free agents for several reasons. The main and most important of those reasons is the question at quarterback. Right now it’s anyone’s guess who the Bears starting quarterback will be in 2017. It could be Jay Cutler. It could be Matt Barkley. It could be Jimmy Garoppolo or Kirk Cousins. It could be a rookie not on the team yet and who won’t be on the team for another two to three months.
The Panthers can sell Cam Newton and an experienced head coach Ron Rivera to Victor Cruz, a passionate winning quarterback/head coach combination in the NFC.
What do the Bears have to sell? It is unclear if the Bears will retain Alshon Jeffery, but Cruz has the opportunity to work with and mentor some young, up and coming receivers currently in Chicago. Cameron Meredith and to a more questionable extent Kevin White are athletic freaks of nature on the Bears roster. Victor Cruz was never the fastest nor most athletically gifted wide receiver on the field. His route running and passion for the game and passion for practice and the process is what the Bears could use in their locker room as they continue to lay the foundation for a winning culture.
The Bears should throw the kitchen sink at Victor Cruz and even take the fall for potentially overpaying him. He is a safety blanket in the slot for whoever the quarterback will be. He is a positive influence on other players on a day-to-day, behind the scenes basis. He is worth it even if his numbers are a shell of what they were during his one Pro Bowl season back in 2012.
Bears should go hard after wide receiver Victor Cruz
The 3-13 Chicago Bears of 2016 finished with the third-worst record in the NFL this season and one of its worst records in franchise history. The Bears need help in all areas of the field including wide receiver. The Bears should try to sign free agent Victor Cruz, recently cut by the New York Giants.
According to Nick Shook of NFL.com, Victor Cruz visited the Carolina Panthers on Monday. Cruz just wrapped up his fifth complete season and was a small factor on the New York Giants in 2016. He scored just one touchdown on 39 receptions and just under 600 yards receiving. He’s started just 28 of the Giants 48 games the last three seasons and has dealt with numerous injuries to his knee and calf.
Those injuries combined with New York’s investment and development in the much younger Sterling Shepard forced the Giants to part ways with the expensive, veteran Cruz. Shepard scored eight touchdowns in his rookie season for the pass-happy New York Giants.
The Chicago Bears are in a position where it’s hard to lure free agents for several reasons. The main and most important of those reasons is the question at quarterback. Right now it’s anyone’s guess who the Bears starting quarterback will be in 2017. It could be Jay Cutler. It could be Matt Barkley. It could be Jimmy Garoppolo or Kirk Cousins. It could be a rookie not on the team yet and who won’t be on the team for another two to three months.
The Panthers can sell Cam Newton and an experienced head coach Ron Rivera to Victor Cruz, a passionate winning quarterback/head coach combination in the NFC.
What do the Bears have to sell? It is unclear if the Bears will retain Alshon Jeffery, but Cruz has the opportunity to work with and mentor some young, up and coming receivers currently in Chicago. Cameron Meredith and to a more questionable extent Kevin White are athletic freaks of nature on the Bears roster. Victor Cruz was never the fastest nor most athletically gifted wide receiver on the field. His route running and passion for the game and passion for practice and the process is what the Bears could use in their locker room as they continue to lay the foundation for a winning culture.
The Bears should throw the kitchen sink at Victor Cruz and even take the fall for potentially overpaying him. He is a safety blanket in the slot for whoever the quarterback will be. He is a positive influence on other players on a day-to-day, behind the scenes basis. He is worth it even if his numbers are a shell of what they were during his one Pro Bowl season back in 2012.
