Sports: Move Over, Cano! Next Athlete To Sign With Jay-Z Revealed…

If you’re an NFL fan, you could pretty much see this coming. C’mon, you saw him throwing up the Roc!  There are reports that Victor Cruz will sign with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports.  ESPN’s Adam Schefter has confirmed it, but ESPN’s Darren Rovell points out there is a problem.  Dear Hov, if this is true – please get Cruz to stay with the GMEN!  Yours truly, Brina.  Details after the jump…

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Via Sports Illustrated:

New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz could be the next client of rapper Jay-Z’s new sports management firm, reports Pro Football Talk.

According to the report, Cruz hired Creative Artists Agency in anticipation of CAA and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation partnering in the overall representation and management of Cruz’s career. Cruz fired his agent recently and hired CAA’s Tom Condon.

Cruz is a restricted free-agent and has been looking for a long-term deal after catching 168 passes for 2,628 yards and 19 touchdowns the past two seasons.

From Profootballtalk.com:

The speculation is accurate.  Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Cruz hired CAA in anticipation of CAA and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation partnering in the overall representation and management of Cruz’s career.

Officially, Roc Nation’s first client is Yankees’ second baseman Robinson Cano.  It’s apparently only a matter of time before Cruz joins the client list.

“I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag just yet,” Cruz said in October, according to USA Today. “The bag is now open, and the cat is getting ready to do the salsa.  While clawing the sh-t out of the furniture.

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Update via at Ohm Youngmisuk at ESPN:

While the only thing that has been made official thus far is Victor Cruz joining Creative Artists Agency (CAA), ESPN’s Adam Schefter has confirmed media reports that Cruz will be a part of the new Roc Nation/CAA venture. Cruz recently hired CAA’s Tom Condon to represent him and the expectation is that Condon will negotiate his contract with the Giants.

My guess is that Roc Nation, the entertainment company founded by Shawn Carter, will work with Cruz on his off-the-field interests and his marketing. Cruz is one of the most popular athletes in New York and his growing portfolio should only ascend under the Roc Nation Sports umbrella. Cruz already is a spokesperson for Nike, Campbell’s Chunky soup and Time Warner Cable. He has strong interests in fashion and music, so it makes all the sense in the world to side with a man who has made millions in those two areas.

How will Jay-Z affect his negotiations with the Giants on a potential long-term extension? As far as the contract goes, my expectation is that Condon will handle that part. He has a good relationship with the Giants and represents Eli Manning, Mathias Kiwanuka and Mark Herzlich. Team ownership is hopeful Condon’s presence will help the two sides strike a deal at some point to keep the salsa-dancing receiver around for a long time in blue.

At the moment, Cruz is a restricted free agent and teams have until April 19 to make a contract offer, although the odds are against that since any team wanting to sign Cruz to an offer will also have to surrender a first-round pick if the Giants don’t match. So the likelihood is Cruz will remain a Giant this season for at least his one-year tender and the two sides can continue to negotiate a long-term deal.

It’s likely Jay-Z will want to keep his high-profile football receiver in the metropolitan area, as the Puerto Rican receiver is loved here and is more marketable here than anywhere else.

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Via Darren Rovell Twitter: