Giants WR Victor Cruz Participates In Team Minicamp For First Time In 8 Months

“Who’s the new guy?” the New York Giants joked as teammate Victor Cruz took to the field Tuesday during mandatory minicamp for the first time in eight months.

Giants WR Victor Cruz Participates In Team Minicamp For First Time In 8 Months

The 29-year-old veteran receiver was spotted running routes and catching passes during individual drills before sitting out the team portion of practice, according to NJ.com. Cruz hasn’t played in a game for New York since October 12, 2014 due to knee and calf injuries.

“Another small step today,” said new Giants coach Ben McAdoo after Tuesday’s practice. McAdoo was promoted in January to head coach from offensive coordinator, a position he’d held since 2014, to replace veteran coach Tom Coughlin. 

“I heard a lot of, ‘Who’s the new guy?'” Cruz said after practice. “They’re always killing me with that stuff.”

As of last week, the Giants’ plan was to keep the receiver out of practice drills until training camp began in late July. However, he’d been pestering the coaches and the training staff to clear him for at least some work with teammates before the team left for the summer. After being satisfied with his recovery thus far, they relented.

“I think I was ready, the training staff thought I was ready,” Cruz said. “I personally wanted to do something this spring/summer, and I’m happy they somewhat listened to me.”

Cruz missed the remainder of the 2014 season after he tore the patellar tendon in his right knee in Week 6. He was able to practice some in training camp last year, although he never even got into a preseason game before he suffered a left calf injury that ended up costing him all of 2015.

Cruz said he woke up at 5:55 a.m. Tuesday excited to finally be out on the field with his teammates — even though practice didn’t start until 11:25. He said he started planting and cutting during route-running drills last week and still needs to work some of the deeper routes.

“It was great to see,” Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. said. “There’s no one who wants to be on the field more than Victor.”

PHOTO: NEW YORK, NY – MAY 29:  Professional football player Victor Cruz attends the 2014 Fresh Air Fund Honoring Our American Hero at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on May 29, 2014 in New York City.  (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)