The New York Daily News is reporting that Giants wide receiver is in an Empire State of Mind, that’s from a management point of view, and the type of contract he is pursuing.
The newspaper is reporting from two NFL sources close to the situation that Cruz is set to join Jay Z’s Roc Nation Sports agency.
Cruz, the Giants’ salsa-happy star receiver, is expected to soon become the next high-profile New York athlete to join forces with Jay Z’s new sports agency, according to two NFL sources familiar with Cruz’s plans. He will likely join Yankees slugger Robinson Cano in the new Roc Nation Sports stable, which was founded by Shawn (Jay-Z) Carter and is associated with CAA.
Cruz fired Malik Shareef last month and joined CAA and Tom Condon. The firing of Shareef came after he spent almost a year and a half going back and forth with the Giants about a new deal.
Sources say even after Cruz joins Roc Nation Sports, Condon will still be the point guy on contract negotiations with the Giants.
Jay Z will most likely for getting the extremely popular Cruz more deals to go with the ones he currently has with Campbell Soup, Nike, and many more.
Cruz would love to stay with the Giants, and has expressed interest at being paid as a #1 wide receiver in the $11 million a year range.
Cruz, with his former agent, was believed to be seeking much more, however. Several NFL sources said his asking price was closer to $10 million-$11 million per year, which is about the going rate for a No. 1 receiver in the NFL. With the two sides not close, the Giants gave Cruz a “first-round tender” before the free-agent market opened in early March, which would get him a salary of $2.879 million 2013 if he signs it.
Cruz reportedly has already turned down $7 million a season and almost $20 million in guaranteed money.