Chicago Bears sign wide receiver Victor Cruz to a 1-year deal
The Chicago Bears have officially signed former New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz.
Ian Rapoport reported the news that Victor Cruz has signed a one-year deal with the Bears. The financial terms have yet to be disclosed but this was a much-needed addition for head coach John Fox and offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains.
The #Bears are signing former #Giants WR Victor Cruz to a 1-year deal, per @KimJonesSports and me. He has a new home.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 25, 2017
Cruz comes from the Giants where he started his career off with a bang. His first season in the league he caught 82 passes for 1,536 yards and nine touchdowns. This was a great start to what was a promising career.
In year two, Cruz continued his great play, catching a career-high 86 passes for 1,092 yards and 10 touchdowns. But, that would be his final full season with the Giants. He has dealt with multiple injuries since his sophomore campaign.
Cruz only played 14 games the following season but still had 998 yards receiving and four touchdowns. Two years ago he only managed to play in six games, and this past season he did play in 15 games but the writing was on the wall. Cruz was done with the Giants and it was time for him to move on.
The Bears now have the chance to milk whatever is left in this 30-year-old wide receiver. He isn’t too old to be productive as long as he can stay healthy. Availability has been an issue in his career and in the Bears organization.
Bears fans aren’t sure what they are getting with their wide receiver core this season. General manager Ryan Pace added some nice pieces like Kendall Wright from Tennessee, Markus Wheaton from Pittsburgh and Rueben Randle from the Giants. These three pass catchers should give a boost to the offense.
Cruz also joins Cameron Meredith who led the Bears last season with 66 receptions for 888 yards and four touchdowns. Kevin White is also returning from injury. He hasn’t been healthy since being drafted by the Bears in 2015.
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Bears fans everywhere need to be hopeful of the upcoming season. While Cruz does have a history of being injured, this is the best wide receiver core we have seen in Chicago in quite some time. Cruz is just another piece to add depth to the roster.