Former Giants Star Outlines How He'd Fix the Franchise

Victor Cruz has some ideas on how he would approach solving some of the Giants' biggest issues on offense.

Dec 22, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz (80) points to the sky before a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The New York Giants are currently 2-6 and heading towards another ugly finish to an uneventful season. Following their 9-7-1 season in 2022, the Giants have won just eight games since and continue to boast one of the worst offenses in the league.

The team has many issues, but the main one is centered around quarterback Daniel Jones. In his sixth season under center, Jones is still struggling to help the Giants win games. 

Head coach Brian Daboll took on the offensive playcalling this year to hopefully provide a spark, but Jones and the offense haven't been able to execute.

Giants legend Victor Cruz, who was part of the Super Bowl XLVI team, was recently asked for his thoughts on how he would fix the Giants during an interview with the U.S. Sun, and Cruz, who spent his entire Giants career playing with retired Giants legend Eli Manning, started with quarterback Daniel Jones.

"First of all, I would just try to put us in a position where Daniel Jones feels free," Cruz said. "I would try to simplify the offense and put him in a position to not have to think as much and just go out there and play."

Cruz suggested that sometimes the Giants' offense falls into the rut of being too one-dimensional; as such, he said he’d like to see more balance.

"It's always about a balanced attack, but I think it's more about moving guys around,” he said. “Moving [receiver] Malik Nabers around the entire offense and put him in a position where the defense can account for him every single down."

Cruz is likely referring to how Daboll and the offensive staff schemed up easier concepts for Jones to follow during the 2022 season. That year, lots of bootlegs, quick games, and short route concepts gave the Giants an advantage, allowing Jones to show that he was capable of operating the system at a high level. 

Jones was flustered in 2023 when they added more wrinkles to the offense. He's also doing the same this year, so simplifying the offense could be an option.

Cruz also believes some additional pieces added to the offense will help.  

"From a personnel perspective, they need to get another receiver next year," he said. "They need to get another bona fide running back that can go out there and run the football."

The Giants drafted Malik Nabers at No. 6 overall this past offseason, and he's been doing everything as advertised thus far. The electric LSU product has caught 39 passes for 427 yards and three touchdowns in five games this year after missing two weeks due to a concussion. 

Outside Nabers, the Giants have Darius Slayton, Wan'Dale Robinson, and Jalin Hyatt to round out the core group.

Slayton and Robinson have had drop problems all season despite coming up big in some moments. On the other hand, Hyatt has barely seen the field, catching just one pass for six yards this season. It'd be wise for the Giants to invest in another receiver when the offseason rolls around.

As for the running back spot, Devin Singletary and Tyrone Tracy Jr have taken the bulk of reps. Singletary had been rushing well before missing two weeks with a groin injury, but his ball security issues were apparent, losing two fumbles in five games. Tracy was able to rush for 129 yards three weeks ago against the Seattle Seahawks and has seemingly passed Singletary on the depth chart. 

As for the quarterback position, Cruz expects the Giants to be in a position to draft their franchise starter. At 2-6, they're well on their way to another top-ten selection in April's draft.

"They're [the Giants] gonna be in a position where if Daniel Jones doesn't play to the ability they like, they're gonna be in a market for a quarterback," he said.

More and more people are calling for the Giants to move on from Jones after this season, with a lot of that population hoping for a change before then so that the Giants don’t continue to risk getting stuck with Jones’s $23 million injury guarantee should he get injured and not be able to pass a physical next spring. 

There are a few more areas to improve, but the Giants will not progress until they address the quarterback position.

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