Victor Cruz’s advice to Malik Nabers to keep him off dark Giants path

MUNICH – Victor Cruz was a terrific and charismatic wide receiver for nan Giants and he is besides a franchise icon, and only partially because of his famed and fabulous salsa touchdown ceremony dance.  

Cruz is simply a everlastingly Giants fable because he was an integral contributor for a Super Bowl title team. And that is nan main logic why he arrived successful Bavaria’s superior arsenic a goodwill ambassador for nan only NFL squad he ever suited up for and received a hero’s invited astatine an arena astatine Hofbrauhaus, a sprawling and historical pub that turned into a Giants instrumentality hangout successful nan days starring up to Sunday’s crippled pinch nan Panthers astatine Allianz Arena.

So, erstwhile Cruz speaks astir nan caller kid connected nan block, rookie receiver Malik Nabers, nan words transportation weight from personification who excelled astatine nan position and carved retired a spot for himself arsenic 1 of nan astir celebrated erstwhile players nan squad has ever produced.

Cruz and Nabers person spoken “a fistful of times,’’ Cruz said, and an belief has already been made.

“I deliberation he’s a awesome kid, first and foremost,’’ Cruz told nan Post. “I deliberation he understands nan gravity that’s put connected his shoulders, kinda coming successful and being wide receiver No. 1 almost immediately. That’s not easy for a young kid to travel into that type of atmosphere, particularly successful New York City. So, I deliberation he’s handling that pinch grace and is doing that very well.’’

Nabers, 21, is struggling handling each nan losing pinch grace. He is tied pinch Ja’Marr Chase for 3rd successful nan convention pinch 55 receptions, down only Garrett Wilson (60) and tight extremity Brock Bowers (57).

The rookie, though, has played successful only 7 games — he missed 2 pinch a concussion — while nan different 3 much prolific pass-catchers each person played successful 9 games. So, Nabers is connected a game-by-game ground nan astir targeted and productive subordinate of each nan apical guys.

The Giants are 2-7, though, and it is intelligibly weighing connected Nabers.

After past week’s 27-22 nonaccomplishment to nan Commanders, Nabers admitted “I deliberation it’s frustrating for everybody. I mean, cipher wants to suffer … It’s arsenic frustrating arsenic it gets.’’

He past was not precisely supportive of caput coach and play-caller Brian Daboll’s attack connected offense, pinch a run-heavy first half earlier pivoting to nan passing crippled aft nan Giants trailed 21-7 astatine halftime.

“I don’t telephone nan plays, truthful I mean, I don’t know,’’ Nabers said. “As an offense, you’ve sewage to beryllium versatile. You’ve sewage to beryllium capable to run. You’ve sewage to beryllium capable to pass. You can’t prime betwixt half and half what you want to do.’’

This could beryllium treading connected a slippery slope.

Cruz, 37, understands what he believes is going connected successful Nabers’ caput but he cautions against allowing it to return him down a acheronian path, arsenic acold arsenic really he views nan offense, nan coaching unit and nan full operation.

“I deliberation it’s earthy for him to get a small disappointment arsenic a player, fixed nan squad and wherever we are correct now astatine this point,’’ Cruz said. “Obviously, missing [two games], knowing his competitory nature, he wants to beryllium retired there, wants to compete, wants to beryllium successful games truthful he tin spell retired location and triumph them and beryllium portion of nan winning culture. But I deliberation he has to understand it takes time, it takes clip to gel, it takes timing for him to beryllium astir nan correct unit and nan correct squad and nan correct business and I deliberation he is.

“I deliberation this discourtesy is geared astir him, which is simply a blessing for him coming successful and I deliberation they request to fig retired ways to get him nan shot arsenic galore ways arsenic imaginable without wearing him down and without fatiguing him excessively early, not only wrong nan crippled but passim nan season. So I deliberation he’s a young kid who’s fresh for that situation and it’s earthy for him to get disappointment but he’s conscionable sewage to enactment nan course.’’

That is apt easier said than done.  

Nabers, pinch 557 receiving yards, will person to prime up nan gait successful a large measurement to get adjacent to Cruz’ single-season franchise record, group successful 2011, of 1,536 yards.

As an undrafted free agent, Cruz entered nan convention done nan backmost doorway and turned into a beloved Giants player.

Nabers, arriving done nan beforehand doorway arsenic nan No. 6 wide prime successful 2024, is conscionable getting started.

The Giants un-retired Ray Flaherty’s No. 1 jersey for Nabers and he looks to beryllium an immense talent but that does not mean he is immune to immoderate vexation arsenic he embarks connected his NFL career.