Odell Beckham Jr.

Giants’ Odell Beckham Jr. Has a Special Relationship With Pat Shurmur

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New York Giants Odell Beckham Jr.

When New York Giants‘ Odell Beckham Jr. smashed his face against a kicking net just two years ago, everyone wondered how a head coach could let a player’s emotions become such an influence on the game. Ben McAdoo was the type of ‘leader’ to sit back and watch things unfold in the hopes that wrongs would magically become rights.

He was the epitome of “hands off” coaching, and it ultimately resulted in his firing. The Giants decided to go in a different direction with the new regime – Dave Gettleman is a stern manager that expects only the best from his players and has often been criticized for asking too much, while Shurmur is a man of few words, but when he speaks, they have value.

Beckham’s journey to the bank has been a bumpy one, and despite emotional breakouts and physical injuries, his talents have never wavered. His emotion is fueled by passion and desire, but harnessing it has become his true mission, and a talent that was thought to be un-coachable.

This offseason, the Giant’s star receiver has displayed class and perfect etiquette on and off the field. In other words, he earned his payday. But don’t think for a second that he just magically returned a changed man. He sought counselling from his new head coach, and Beckham went as far as to say Shurmur has been a true mentor to him, and reminds him of the influential coach he had in high school.

The script has changed, and for the better.

Since Shurmur become the head coach for the Giants, Beckham’s media driven life has changed for the better. He’s started youth camps, further upholding the image of the Giants brand and stature. After years of mismanagement from the Giants’ front-office, the Josh Brown debacle, the peeing celebration, the demise of the locker room…the organization seems to be on a path towards success.

A word from Odell Beckham Jr. on New York Giants head coach, Pat Shurmur:

“Since the day we were in LA and we met up early in the morning — I drove out there to see him — and just from the minute we sat down and talked even knowing when we hired him,” Beckham stated in regard to the leadership and serenity Shurmur has brought to his life.

“I had asked (Vikings receiver Stefon Diggs) and those other guys about him and just the relationship we’ve been able to build has been really amazing for me.”

“It kind of reminds me of the relationship I had with my high school coach, who is somebody I still talk to this day, a guy who taught me to be a man and do these things,” Beckham said.

There’s no doubt Beckham has learned from his mistakes and the negative attention that seems to come with it. Ever since “the catch,” the receiver’s life has been turned upside down, thrusting him into a world of fame and fortune, a place that’s often too overwhelming for the normal human.

The maturity he’s displayed thus far has been very encouraging, and if he can become a mentor for the young players on the team and lead by example, there’s no reason the Giants can’t have one of the most dynamic and exciting offenses in the NFL.

How Giants’ Odell Beckham Jr. And Saquon Barkley Will Work Together

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In recent seasons, the New York Giants struggled to implement unique sets on offense and create mismatches in coverage – primarily due to a lack of weapons and a horrific offensive line. This offseason, we have seen a fortified line begin to take the necessary steps toward serviceability, and while there is still a long way to go, other pieces to the offensive puzzle are beginning to fall into place.

With star wide receiver, Odell Beckham Jr., preparing to make his regular season return, the team seems to be trending in the right direction. Players have stated Beckham looks even better than before, maintaining his speed, agility, and catching ability at the very least. He seems to have a new-found maturity and success oriented mindset going into this season.

Ultimately, Beckham seeks a massive contract extension in return for good behavior and proof his ankle has fully healed. His role as a captain and leader on the team was made clear by the new regime, especially after drafting OBJ’s good friend, Saquon Barkley.

How will Odell Beckham Jr. and Saquon Barkley work together on the Giants’ offense?

Picture Antonio Brown and LeVeon Bell…that tandem works smoothly because the defense’s attention must be allocated to either or. When Brown is drawing the safeties into coverage and away from their cover 2 assignments, it opens up an opposite side screen play for Bell. His influence in the pass game is what makes the Steelers’ offense tick.

Additionally, having a solid running game takes the weight off of Brown’s shoulders. For Beckham, that was not the case in 2017, nor his previous seasons. Having a back like Barkley that will keep the defense honest and wary, will open up the field for Beckham to utilize his unique skill-sett.

Throw in Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram and things seems to be looking quite good for the Giants. Expect to see a lot of play-action from Eli Manning and head coach Pat Shurmur – finally. He got away from using it while Ben McAdoo was calling the shots, mainly because the playbook favored a heavy crossing route tree.

Additionally, we have seen a glimpse of movement on the line of scrimmage from Beckham. I’ve seen him move into the slot and jump around the line in an attempt to throw of the defense. Barkley has even split out wide on occasion. Movement before the snap is Shurmur’s bread and butter. We will see a lot of interesting players in motion this season, so look out for that in the next preseason game on Friday.

New York Giants: Odell Beckham Jr. Explains Why He Didn’t Hold Out

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New York Giants Odell Beckham Jr.

One of the biggest stars of the New York Giants, Odell Beckham Jr, formally spoke to the press for the first time during training camp, following yesterday’s practices. He talked about injury, the good chemistry between the Giants players early on, and about his thankfulness to be able to play once again.

Perhaps most interestingly, he explained his reasoning behind attending training camp and not holding out because of his ongoing contract negotiations.

“I’m just happy to be back out there running around. And like I said before, I don’t believe in any of that stuff. I feel like they’ll get it done when they get it done, let my agent and them figure it out,” Beckham said, mentioning that his injury against the Chargers last year changed his life. “I just come out here, try and get all the plays down, focus on being the best that I can be. So, it’ll happen when it happens.”

“It’s a calculated risk. You’re out there, you control your body and we’re practicing, these are your teammates and we’re all working together. There’s no extra pushing and shoving and doing too much, so it’s all calculated,” he added, on the subject of risking reinjury by participating in practices.

He also gave some of the details about what rehabbing from the injury was like. “As I’ve been running routes, running around, I remember nights falling asleep downstairs, having to get up to my room and literally having to crawl up three flights of stairs to get to my room… It’s great to be back out there with some of those guys. Sterling, it’s always good to see him, Saquon, everybody. It’s going to be a good team.”

Beckham has shown good chemistry with Sterling and Barkley going into this season, working out with both players in Los Angeles before training camp began.

The biggest message from Beckham’s talk with the media was that he was thankful to be back with the team, regardless of any external circumstances. “I remember waking up four in the morning and crawling upstairs to my bed and laughing to myself, like this is going to be a hell of a ride for you to get back to where you’re at… I’m just thankful, that God is able to put me back out there.”

What Does The Stefon Diggs Deal Mean For The New York Giants?

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It might seem strange that this is one of the most important moves of the New York Giants offseason, but Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs has recently signed a new deal for five years and $72,000,000,000. The former fifth round draft pick developed into one of the Vikings’ top players in recent years, but the Vikings aren’t the only team that will see an impact from his new deal.

After all, if one NFL player manages to pull in a higher than expected amount of money in contract negotiations, other players will follow suit and ask for similar numbers. The Giants could have dodged this bullet if Odell Beckham Jr’s contract had been ironed out ahead of time, but after the situation was dragged out through the offseason and into spring practices, it’s something that they’ll have to deal with.

Training camp is already underway, and arguably the best player on the Giants is still without a contract extension. Beckham is headed into the last year of his rookie deal, and it’s not that he hasn’t tried to act on good terms with the team and get a new contract that way. Instead of disrupting the team with a holdout at the start of training camp, Beckham showed up just like everyone else and put in a full effort.

There hasn’t been drama or threats to leave in free agency from the star receiver, either. Which is part of the reason why it’s shocking that the Giants haven’t paid him. It’s not going to be cheap, but because the Giants chose to wait, the deal will be even more expensive, assuming that it’s eventually made.

The market favors wide receivers right now, and the Vikings decided that Diggs was worth $72,000,000,000 after he recorded 849 receiving yards in the regular season as well as eight touchdowns last year. Beckham, on the other hand, has brought in more than 1,300 yards and had double digit touchdowns in each of his career seasons except for the last one, which was cut short for him by injury.

The writing on the wall is clear. The Diggs deal shows just how valuable a good receiver in today’s NFL is, and because the Giants didn’t pull the trigger on getting Odell Beckham Jr. a new deal before it happened, it’s going to be much harder to reach a deal that’s friendly to the team.

This new contract for Diggs may involve another team, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t one of the most impactful transactions of the year for the Giants. Unfortunately, that impact won’t likely be a positive one.

New York Giants: Engram Working On Improvement, Beckham Brings A-Game

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New York Giants, Evan Engram

Training camp has begun for the New York Giants, and the pressure is on for certain players. It’s the first training camp under new head coach Pat Shurmur, and there’s a lot of storylines going into it. How will Odell Beckham Jr. play? Will the rest of the offense give more help to Eli Manning this year? Can the cornerbacks hold up and not let the team down this season?

After the first day, it seems that we’re closer to an answer for the first question. Beckham Jr. didn’t just show up to training camp rather than holding out, but performed well enough to earn praise from fellow wide receiver Sterling Shepard.

“I don’t know, there’s just something in him, he’s just hungry. He’s ready to get out there and prove to everybody that he still has it and you guys see the Instagram videos, it’s crazy and to see it firsthand, wow.”

The Instagram videos that Shepard is referring to are the ones from Beckham’s training in Los Angeles. If you followed those videos, it’s really no surprise that Beckham hasn’t lost a step. The routes he ran back at UCLA’s practice field made it look like he had never been injured, after all.

Beckham wasn’t the only player to look good in the passing game during the first practice of training camp, though. Evan Engram made an impressive one handed catch, and it looked like a play that the aforementioned Beckham would make.

“Definitely went back and watched a lot, just to kind of put in perspective of where I was and kind of test myself on when to use some of the new things I know now in some situations I was in last year,” Engram said, talking about his film study during the offseason.

It’s only Engram’s second season, but after an impressive six touchdowns as a rookie, he’s on the fast track to having a larger role in the offense. So far, it would seem that the tight end is up for the task and ready to improve some areas of his game from last year.

How Will Brandin Cooks’ Contract Impact Giants’ Odell Beckham Jr. Talks?

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The New York Giants are running up a slippery slope with star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and his contract talks. Rams receiver Brandin Cooks received a massive 5-year, $81 million deal, delivering an average of $16.2 million per-season.

This puts Beckham in a very good position, especially after Cooks received a contract not much lower than what was expected for the Giants’ receiver. Now that this deal is on the table, we should expect to see his agent up the price considerably.

We could easily see his deal reach lengths of $20 million per-season, in other words, franchise quarterback money. This would cripple the Giants’ cap-space for year, unless they relieve Eli Manning of his duties and bring in Davis Webb to play out the rest of his rookie deal as the starter.

Comparing Cooks and Odell Beckham Jr. ‘s stats:

For comparion’s sake, we will look into their 2016 stats.

Cooks recorded 1,173 yards and eight scored, which was his best season to date. OBJ on the other hand managed 1,367 yards and 10 scores, and we all know the influence he had on the offense. His ability to make an offense that has neglected the offensive line and additional weapons look good, ultimately helps his stock tremendously.

He will likely be compensated well for his services, but the question is: Will Dave Gettleman be willing to pay a wide receiver that type of money. Weeks ago he laughed at the idea of paying a WR $20 million per-year, so we should be cautious with our optimism a deal gets done in the near future.

In my opinion, I could see the Giants franchise tagging him and not giving him a long-term extension until Manning is officially done as the quarterback.

Plaxico Burress Warns New York Giants About Leaving Beckham “Disgruntled”

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Everyone has an opinion on what the New York Giants should do about Odell Beckham Jr’s contract, and that includes former receiver Plaxico Burress. Of course, Burress knows a thing or two about playing wide receiver for the Giants, having caught the winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLII. That’s not the only reason why his take is interesting, though.

Burress fought for a new contract and skipped minicamp following the Super Bowl win, and the situation is vaguely similar to the current one with Beckham Jr.

“Everybody in the world knows the guy needs to be rewarded. It’s only a matter of time. Don’t have him disgruntled going into the season, and then you lose him. Why even put yourself in that position?” Burress told NJ.com.

His fear is one that many Giants fans have been voicing since last season. When the team went 3-13, large parts of the fanbase assumed that Beckham would take more money to move to a winning team when his contract is up. Now that it’s June and Beckham still doesn’t have a contract, those worries have only become more intense.

As far as paying Beckham goes, Burress has the same opinion as many of the fans. “I hope that he doesn’t let that affect him going into training camp. I say just go pay the guy so they can put all that behind them and everybody goes into a season with a tremendous focus of winning another championship.”

He also touched on another controversial subject, and that’s whether the Giants can win with Beckham in the future or not.

“I think he is a generational talent. He has everything that a wide receiver possibly could have. He is a fierce competitor, and a lot of people misconstrue some of the things that go on. But the guy wants to win bad. He competes, and I love that part about him. At the same time, there is a maturation process, too. I think he’ll realize and come into his own. You can build a team around him.”

Lastly, Burress has a positive outlook for what lies ahead, and on the situation with Eli Manning going into the 2018 season. “Obviously, last year nobody did really well. If you protect him, especially with the weapons he has and bringing in Saquon, it can have the possibility of being one of the most explosive offenses in football.”

New York Giants Legend Advocates To Pay Odell Beckham Jr. Now

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There’s no question that New York Giants star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is one of the most prolific offensive threats the game has seen in years. His presence raised the entire team in terms of quality and success. His ability to turn the game on its heels has been apparent over the course of his career, and there has been no signs of slowing down, despite a broken ankle in the 2017 season.

His return is imminent, and pairing him with first-round pick Saquon Barkley only makes the Giants a more tantalizing and intimidating team. His return is a blessing for quarterback Eli Manning. Beckham has expressed his desire to attent training camp, although voices have echoed a holdout is possible. Beckham stated that he would not hold out this season, and why should he? We all know the value he offers to his team and what he means to the Giants on and off the field.

New York Giants legend has some advice for the front-office:

Phil Simms may have had a stellar career, but he never had a receiver like Beckham and oh boy, would he have liked him. Simms has all the faith in the world in the maturing receiver, stating, ” Odell is one of the best weapons on offense I’ve seen in the NFL in a long time. I look at Odell Beckham and, man, I don’t know what to say. Pay the man.”

Take it from him Dave Gettleman – if a quarterback says he needs him, you should probably consider keeping him at all costs. In terms of Beckham’s presence on the team and locker room, Simms said, “I’ve never heard a teammate say a bad word about Odell.”

Despite all of the antics and wild celebrations Beckham has pulled out of the hat, his teammates love him and the coaches rely on him to make play week in and week out.

“We had a guy who has some antics too, it worked out pretty well.” I’m sure you all remember the great Lawrence Taylor. I could make the argument that Taylor was even more of a distraction, but on game day, he earned his paycheck.

Eli Manning On The Return Of Giants’ Odell Beckham Jr. – 2018 Expectations

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Eli Manning is surely going to enjoy having his good friend Odell Beckham Jr. back on the playing field this season. The New York Giants lost Beckham Jr. to a broken ankle in week five of the 2017 regular season after a Los Angeles Charger fell on his leg, causing the significant injury.

The super athlete began his rehab immedietly after surgery, posting videos of his recovery and workouts throughout the rehabilitation process. One video even saw Beckham pull an SUV up a small hill. Here it is!

Well, by the looks of it, Beckham is well on his way to a 100% recovery. Manning must be happy, we know the fans are happy, but Dave Gettleman probably isn’t so happy… Now he has to pay him $18 million per-season! We all know he deserves it, and for those who think peeing like a dog negates his talent and justifies letting him walk, just remember that he was the reason the Giants made the playoffs in 2016.

Eli’s take on Beckham returning to the Giants as per Kimberly Jones of NFL Network:

“He wants to get back to scoring touchdowns & celebrating & having fun again. I think he misses that part of his life. … If Odell catches an 80-yarder, we will go into an electric slide or something.”

Let me tell you, I’m excited as well.

As for Manning’s future in the NFL and realistic goals:

“Obviously it has been an unbelievable run but I want to continue doing it. It’s not over. I know that. ..I’m excited for this upcoming yr & really prove that I can still play at a high level. We can win games. We can win championships.”

At 37 years-old, Manning is on the back end of his career, but according to head coach Pat Shurmur, he’s the most in-shape 37 year-old he’s ever seen. Of course age takes its toll, but Shurmur will play to Manning’s strengths, which undoubtedly are at the line of scrimmage and in the play-action. Being that Ben McAdoo never utilized the play-action with Manning, it will be interesting to see if he still has the arm strength to throw off his back foot or on the run to receivers moving away. Luckily, one of Beckham’s best routes is the deep button-hook, meaning he will be running back towards Manning to make the throws more manageable.

Eli also spoke about Shurmur and his methods:

“He tries to keep the game simple, which I enjoy. He’s not trying to make it over-complicated & it’s been great in practices & watching film with him after. We have a great relationship & are on the same page.”

New York Giants Minicamp: Odell Beckham Jr.’s Offseason Plan Released

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Seeing Odell Beckham Jr. on the first day of mandatory mini-camp was a blessing, and for the New York Giants, it was expected. The fifth-year wide receiver has done everything in his power to ensure his trust is out in the open and his dedication to the team is on full display.

Recently, Atlanta Falcons’ Julio Jones has decided to sit out of mini-camp as he awaits a big contract offer. While the media didn’t have a big field-day with that news, they still managed to put Beckham in a bad light.

According to head coach Pat Shurmur:

Additionally, Shurmur stated that his non-participation in team-drills has nothing to do with his contract but rather the state of his rehabilitation.

The Giants’ top wide-out will look to bounce back from a devastating broken ankle that ended his season early on in 2017. The injury ultimately began the Giants’ spiral and left quarterback Eli Manning out to dry. In the season ahead, optimism is at an all time high.

With the drafting of Saquon Barkley and the development of Evan Engram, the load on Beckham’s shoulders will be lessened.

Sterling Shepard stated in regard to OBJ’s injury, “I swear I forget that he got hurt sometimes.”

For an offense the ranked 31st in points last season (15.4 per game), they will reap the benefits of having several premium offensive weapons in the months ahead. With the upgrade of the offensive line and linebacker corps, the offense should see more time on the field and more flexibility with man coverage for Beckham.

EXTRA:

By holding onto Eli Manning for another season, the Giants improve the chances of Beckham’s future success. Building a rapport and chemistry between two players takes months, if not years to perfect. If GM Date Gettleman decided to move on from Manning, he would inevitably set back his star receiver’s game at the same time.