Giants' Cruz says he deserves a raise

2:07 PM, February 9, 2012 ι By PAUL SCHWARTZ

Judged strictly on production based on dollars earned, it is hard to imagine another player in the NFL who provided a bigger bang for the buck than Victor Cruz.

His 2011 salary was $450,000 and for that money he broke the Giants franchise record for receiving yards, put together one of the greatest pass-catching seasons in team history and electrified fans with his big plays and end zone salsa dances.

Well, nothing lasts forever and it sounds as if Cruz is anxious to shed the “underpaid’’ label attached to his name.

“I think I was paid, you know, relative to where I came in this year and, you know, I came in as a free agent so that’s the salary I was on, so I don’t feel like I was underpaid,” Cruz said on PFT Live. “I mean, I feel like after my performance this year, you know, I feel like I deserve to be paid more money at this point. But that’s something I’ll let my agents and those people take care of and I’ll just go out there and play the game.”

Cruz is scheduled to make $490,000 next season.

After catching a team-high 82 passes for a franchise-record 1,536 yards and a team-high nine touchdowns, Cruz was named winner of the Vizio Top Value Performer Award, given to the player who accomplishes the most while making the least money.