New York Giants Should Reward Victor Cruz's 2011 Season with Contract Extension

Fresh off the New York Giants winning the 2011 Super Bowl, one of their players thinks he deserves a raise.

Victor Cruz, who has captivated Giants' fans all over with the "Salsa dance" trademark following a touchdown, feels he should make more money in 2012.

The story got reported by Mike Florio of NBC's ProFootballTalk.com website, who interviewed Cruz on a non-live edition of PFT-Live.

Cruz understood why he got paid only $450,000 in 2011, but thinks he should make more than $490,000 in 2012 given what he did in 2011.

And Cruz is right. He deserves to get paid.

In 2011, Cruz caught 82 passes for 1,536 yards and nine touchdowns for the Giants.

The 1,536 yards in 2011 is a single-season record for the Giants, which is a great accomplishment given their almost 90-year history in the NFL.

Cruz was probably the biggest break-out star in the NFL in 2011, given that he was an undrafted free agent for the Giants in 2010, who missed the entire 2010 season due to a hamstring injury.

And when the Giants let Steve Smith walk away and sign with the Philadelphia Eagles in August, the Giants needed one of their unknown receivers to step up.

At first, they thought it might be Domenik Hixon, but he tore his ACL in Week 2 against the St. Louis Rams.

Going into Week 3 against the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Stadium, the Giants found their go-to receiver in Cruz that they were searching for.

Cruz made All-Pro corner Nnamdi Asomugha look foolish on the field, catching three passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns in the Giants 29-16 win over Philly.

From that point on, Cruz became a favorite for Eli Manning to throw to in 2011.

After that game, it was one of seven games where Cruz had over 100 yards, and 12 games where Cruz had at least 70 or more yards receiving.

The Giants already had a star with Hakeem Nicks and a solid option with Mario Manningham, but Victor Cruz was the difference maker.

Cruz is one of the biggest reasons why the Giants were hoisting up the Lombardi Trophy in Indianapolis on Sunday, parading in Manhattan and celebrating in East Rutherford on Tuesday.

And for that, Giants GM Jerry Reese should reward Cruz with a contract extension.

At 25 years old, Cruz has only gotten started in his NFL career. He's not a "diva receiver" like Plaxico Burress, Terrell Owens, Randy Moss or Chad Ochocinco.

Many people in 2011 said when they talked to Cruz, he sounded like a humble kid who appreciated the road he took to get to the NFL and to superstardom.

If the Giants do let Mario Manningham walk away in free agency, it frees up even more money for the Giants to sign players this offseason.

Regardless of what Manningham does, Cruz deserves to get paid either way.

Cruz has become a star for the Giants, and he deserves to be treated and paid like one.

What Cruz did for the Giants in 2011 was way beyond any of their expectations, and for that, he should be rewarded for it.