Odell Beckham Jr.

New York Giants: Did The 49ers Go After Odell Beckham Jr.?

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New York Giants, Odell Beckham Jr.

When the New York Giants traded Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns, it was a shocking moment. Not just because they had traded a player that was one of the current faces of the franchise, but because they sent Beckham to Cleveland and received a rather weak haul in return, only getting two draft picks, neither of which are actually great picks, as well as average safety Jabrill Peppers.

The Browns weren’t the destination that was popularly predicted as a landing spot for Beckham earlier in the offseason, when the trade was just a rumor. A rumor that didn’t seem credible because of the offseason prior, when Beckham trade rumors seemed to be the main story and continued on for months until the season started and Beckham eventually signed a new, massive contract with the Giants.

Beckham was more commonly linked to a trade with the San Francisco 49ers, but that never happened and the Giants agreed to a deal that at worst has been called a robbery. Strangely enough, however, 49ers CEO Jed York claims that the team did indeed go after Beckham an that the deal didn’t fall through just because of a lack of trying.

“We were aggressive. But I think [the Giants] wanted different things than we had to offer. I think it would have been very hard for us to just give up a first-round pick and not get a ton in return, other than just the player, knowing that the second pick in the draft is a very, very valuable pick,” said York, on Sunday.

It says something about how other teams value Beckham. Maybe, it seems, Beckham isn’t valued as much by other teams as some predictions would have guessed. It’s surprising, after all, that the 49ers would take the second overall pick and spend it on a rookie instead of trading it in a one-for-one trade that would give them Beckham.

New York Giants: What Trading Odell Beckham Jr. Means For Saquon Barkley

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New York Giants, Saquon Barkley

It’s safe to say that having two generational players on a single team is far better than just one. The New York Giants enjoyed that reality for one season, having both Odell Beckham Jr. and Saquon Barkley on the field. However, they couldn’t help the Giants avoid another disappointing season falling to 3-13.

The reality is, not even two generational players could mask the deficiencies on the offensive line and defense. General manager Dave Gettleman made it clear recently that a team can win during a rebuild, and that’s what he tends to do with Big Blue. Unfortunately, his plan didn’t start out too hot last year, and proceeding to trade away a fan favorite to acquire a mid-first-round pick and Jabrill Peppers didn’t make much sense.

What does Odell Beckham Jr.’s departure mean for Saquon Barkley?

Although the Giants’ star running back is only going into his second year in the NFL, he’s already emerged as a leader on the team. Pure talent doesn’t go unnoticed, which is why Beckham was such a force in the locker room. His past antics certainly played a part in the demise of the team, but Barkley is a different breed.

The 22-year-old has established himself as a voice of reason, consoling players on the sidelines during tough games and motivating them to succeed in moments of significance. He will fill the shoes of ‘leader’ quite well, but the production on offense is a major concern.

Losing Beckham essentially forces the Giants to operate without their most lethal red-zone target and open field playmaker. Now, they must rely on Golden Tate, Sterling Shepard, and Evan Engram to make a majority of plays in the passing game. A major downgrade from Beckham to Tate highlights this fixture.

The changing of the guard:

But, Barkley now has the authority on offense, as he will be the focal point in the run and pass game. You’d better believe Gettleman will run his workhorse back into the ground until the last bit of value and life has been extracted from his massive quads. That’s the style of football he likes to play – smashmouth, run game-centric, hog mollie ridden ball.

The only way trading Beckham makes sense is if the Giants manage to turn the No. 17 overall pick in the draft into an influential player, otherwise, they will have consumed $16 million in dead cap to give up their best player for a box of stale Lays potato chips and a week old Mcflurry.

The moment Beckham was traded from the team that drafted him in 2014, he called Barkley, hoping that it was all a dream.

“We talked over Facetime, he had just gotten traded, so I don’t think he was really happy about it,” Barkley told NJ Advance Media. “He just gave me some advice about how to handle stuff in the league. He was the same old big brother to me that he’s always been.”

Moving forward, we have no choice but to have faith in Gettleman and his plan. There’s no escaping what’s to come, so the best we can do is stay positive and thank the football gods every night that we have Saquon Barkley.

New York Giants: Justin Tuck Believes Beckham Jr. Needed A Change Of Scenery

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It’s hard to take in the fact that the New York Giants traded Odell Beckham Jr. The move shocked fans around the league, and one day after the deal happened, there’s still plenty of reactions pouring in from fans and media personalities alike about the entire situation. Those personalities include former Giants players, such as Justin Tuck, who has come out backing the front office and General Manager Dave Gettleman in this situation.

“I think Gettleman is doing what he thinks is best for the franchise for the long-term, and I don’t think anybody can question that,” Tuck said to the New York Post. He also claimed that he would be against the move if the Giants are in the same position two years from now, but that it’s too early to make the judgement.

“Everyone gets so emotional about these things, but I think all the players understand this is a business, and we need to approach it as a business, and things like this happen unfortunately. Long story short, I think Odell needed a new change of scenery as well as this team needed to move on and try to get what they got for him.”

But it seems unlikely that this deal happened because of Beckham needing a change of scenery, at least on his end. Beckham was one of the most enthusiastic players last season, even when the team’s record continued to get worse and worse. It seems that the move was not because of Beckham needing a change of scenery, but because of the upper executives deciding to pull the plug on Beckham’s time with the Giants.

According to Tuck, though, the move makes sense because the Giants were going to be in a rebuilding phase whether or not they moved Beckham.

“Also I think Gettleman’s looking at it from a perspective of this team had a lot of holes that he needs to find a way to fill, and they’re in a rebuilding phase anyway,” Tuck said.

But even if that’s what the Giants are doing, it’s never popular when a team looks like they aren’t even attempting to compete. The Giants are very obviously rebuilding and, with months left until the season, everyone can see that it’s their main focus this year. After the controversial move to send Beckham away, it will be interesting to see just how much fan enthusiasm is affected by knowing this.

New York Giants: Three Wide Receivers That Could Replace Odell Beckham Jr.

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On Tuesday night, the New York Giants shocked the NFL world. They traded superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns. This opened up another huge hole on the Giants’ roster.

The Giants received the 17th overall pick in the Beckham Jr. trade. Much speculation has been made around what the Giants plan to do with that pick. Now that the Giants do not have a true number one receiver on the team, they could consider drafting a wide receiver at 17.

D.K. Metcalf

Ole Miss wide receiver D.K. Metcalf became a superstar at the 2019 NFL Combine. Metcalf is a huge receiver, standing tall at 6 feet 3 inches and weighing in at 228 pounds. D.K. became a social media sensation with posted images of his shredded body. Since then, he has been on the rise as a prospect.

Metcalf has likely sky-rocketed his draft stock into the top 10. However, he has been projected all over the place. Some analysts have mocked him in the top 10, some outside of the top 20.

Despite his big frame, Metcalf is a speedy receiver. He ran an incredible 4.33 40-yard dash. His incredible Combine did not stop there, however. Metcalf also posted 27 bench press reps and measured a 40.5-inch vertical jump. It will be tough for NFL teams to matchup against an athletic freak like D.K. Metcalf.

D.K. Metcalf is not just impressive during workouts. He has shown tremendous talent on the field, too. Metcalf only played in 7 games in 2018 due to injury, but he was very productive when he was on the field. In 2018, D.K. Metcalf caught 26 passes with 5 touchdowns and 569 yards. His 21.9 yards per catch average is especially impressive.

A.J. Brown

D.K. Metcalf is not the only great receiver coming out of Ole Miss this year. His teammate, A.J. Brown was Ole Miss’s true number one receiver in 2018. Brown played only one season of football in college (2018), but it was impressive enough to prove that he is ready for the NFL.

A.J. Brown caught 85 passes for 1,320 yards in 2018. He also added 6 touchdowns. Brown was not as much of a deep-threat as Metcalf was, but he could do it all. He still managed to have a 15.5 yards per reception average and Brown is an excellent route-runner. Brown stands at about 6 feet 1 inch and 225 pounds. This is a great size for a receiver prospect.

Brown posted a 4.49 40-yard dash at the Combine. Not blazing speed, but definitely good enough to compete in the NFL. A.J. also showed strength and explosiveness with 19 bench press reps, a 36.5 vertical jump, and 120-inch broad jump.

A.J. Brown is not simply a possession receiver either. He has shown the ability to make plays after the catch. Check out this 84-yard catch and run:

Here is a clip of Brown making a one-handed catch at the Combine, thrown by Dwayne Haskins. Could this connection come to Big Blue in 2019? Since the Giants now hold the 6th and the 17th overall picks, it is a real possibility.

Marquise “Hollywood” Brown

Oklahoma has produced some of the best prospects in recent years. Last year’s number one overall pick, Baker Mayfield to name one. This year’s top quarterback prospect Kyler Murray to name a second. Kyler Murray’s favorite target, Marquise Brown, to name a third.

Marquise Brown is a speedy receiver out of Oklahoma who has the potential to be the next Tyreek Hill or Desean Jackson. In 2018, Brown caught 75 passes for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns. Brown did not run the 40-yard dash at the Combine, but he has been praised by NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah for being the “fastest player in the draft” on multiple occasions.

Football talent runs through Marquise’s blood. He is the cousin of top NFL receiver Antonio Brown. However, Marquise and Antonio have different playstyles. Antonio is a possession receiver, but Marquise is a deep threat.

Marquise Brown also has the ability to turn a short reception into a long touchdown. This play should remind fans of Odell Beckham and his ability to take a slant to the house:

New York Giants: The Gettleman Formula Isn’t as Crazy as You Think

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New York Giants, Odell Beckham Jr.

Disclaimer: Former New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. IMPROVES ANY OFFENSE.

I need to preface this with three things: OBJ is a great player, I personally like OBJ, but I also like the trade. It’s obviously not about any issue with his talent. It’s about digging out of the Reese and Ross regime mess, about getting back to the basics of building a football team from the inside-out, it’s about the opportunity to receive decent compensation, and perhaps it’s indirectly about some perceptions (real or fake) about OBJ’s maturity and satisfaction with the New York Giants.

This is a transitional period for the New York Giants in multiple ways:

The front office has a drastically different football strategy than the previous front office, it’s trying to improve a roster that has been void of consistent quality draft picks for a decade, on the docket is to develop and execute a plan to eventually move on from 2-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning; all this while trying to balance the process of removing heavy contracts while still trying to stay competitive. No easy task.

Back to the basics:

Some like to view Dave Gettleman as this great enigma. He’s been very clear with his philosophy – and I’ve agreed with it 100%. Time to get back to New York Giants football: Building a team from the inside-out. Gettleman has done more in one year with the offensive line than Jerry Reese and Marc Ross did in 10 years. If the offense is the car and the QB is the driver, the offensive line is the engine. The car and the driver can only go as far as the engine can take them. Gettleman and Shurmur both understand this and swear by it.

Some may call it rebuilding, I’ll call it a readjustment of philosophy:

The Reese/Ross regime philosophy was the opposite. They neglected the OL (its true they used draft picks, but refused to adjust when plans continually failed) and built from the outside-in. They focused on WRs that can’t run routes, and speed TEs w/ drop issues, LTs that lack technical skills while being un–coachable, CBs with the maturity of a 9-year-old, to name a few.

Technical skills were of little importance: It was all about size, speed, and strength. Reese and Ross built from the outside-in, drafted track and field stars, and were practically married to their draft picks. Gettleman builds from the inside-out, finds football players, and he isn’t afraid to move on when he notices something isn’t working. Two very different philosophies. Gettleman is doing things his way.

“Run the ball, stop the run, rush the passer.”

Nowhere in there does it say build around an $18M WR. I’m not trying to be flippant. But it’s true. Here’s my personal philosophy with WRs. It doesn’t matter how big and fast you are if you can’t run a route, if you confuse the QB, or can’t catch the ball.

When I look at WR skillsets I look for: Smart players, good route runners, have a good feel for space, are where they’re supposed to be on time, hard workers, excellent hands, and still able to catch in traffic and contested areas. In a nutshell, be where you’re supposed to be when you’re supposed to be, create separation, and catch the ball. There are many ways to create separation. Size and speed are just a bonus.

Most of these skills apply to OBJ, but they also apply to many WRs – to include Sterling Shepard. OBJ (or any $18M WR) is not a pillar to build a team around. Premium WR’s are not part of the frame – they’re a piece – and a luxury piece. The Giants aren’t there right now.

“They went Baker… I was taking Saquon.”

The first pick as GM by Dave Gettleman was Saquon Barkley. We know the accolades. Saquon Barkley isn’t just an RB, he’s the face of the modern NFL offense. He’s a player a team can build around and run their offense through. If you want a model, look to the 2nd half of last season when the Giants averaged 27.5 pts/gm.

With an improved offensive line, Eli was allowed the platform to get in a rhythm, spread the ball around, and throw down the field. Running the offense through Saquon opened–up play action for Eli – his bread and butter that could never be utilized in recent years due to the lack of a run threat. OBJ missed the last four games of last season. During three of those games, the Giants stuck to the script and scored points of 40, 27, and 35.

While Saquon averaged over 100 yds rushing a game, Eli had 269 yds/game, a 66% comp and a 3:1 TD to INT ratio. In contrast, McAdoo’s offense mainly consisted of a constant game of hot potato, seeing if Eli could throw the slant to Odell before getting nailed by a free rusher.

It’s time to move on from that nightmare and get back to New York Giants football. The Giants are finally creating an offensive identity: Control the line of scrimmage, establish the run, maximize Saquon’s potential, allow Eli time to utilize the whole field, utilize the entire offense, spreading the ball to all WRs when available– not just OBJ. This may sting for some fans, but last season Saquon became more valuable than OBJ to the New York Giants offense.

By trading OBJ and Vernon, the Giants clear $30M in cap space starting next year:

This aspect is about moving forward with a clean slate and a sense of freedom to build the team in Gettleman’s vision. An architect may have a blueprint, but they need materials to put everything together. Now possibly part of that blueprint could be the re-signing of WR Sterling Shepard. That wouldn’t have been an option if OBJ was still on the team making $18M a year. Shepard checks a lot of boxes I look for in a WR. All things considered, I would rather have Shepard and his relative cap number than OBJ and his $18M.

“I didn’t sign him to trade him.”

I believe him. So then why sign him, to begin with? Something must have happened between the time he was signed in August of last year, to the time he was traded. In the ESPN interview in October, OBJ said some doozies. As much as I like OBJ, and I think he’s a good guy – he was a little too honest. Some feelings became clear that could be an issue down the road. He was hesitant to defend his QB, implying he might be the reason why he couldn’t maximize his potential. He also wasn’t willing to say he was happy in New York – after the Giants just shelled out a $90M contract and made him their marquee player.

Even Lil’ Wayne had an “Uh-oh” reaction. OBJ needs to have the maturity to understand that’s not a good look. Rams HC Sean McVay has a “We, not me” slogan. OBJ came across as a “me” player; worried about how he performs and how he maximizes his potential, even to the extent of slighting teammates and his organization. I know this couldn’t have gone over well with Shurmur, Gettleman, and Mara. For good measure, the next month OBJ casually criticized HC Shurmur’s game plan as a reason for the Giants losing to the Eagles. Not cool OBJ.

All things considered, I think the compensation is adequate:

It’s possible there was already a thought that if OBJ is disgruntled six weeks after getting a check for $41M, there might be more issues on the way at some point in the future. Five years is a long time. A GM shouldn’t have to constantly worry about how their players will act when the going gets tough.

After seeing Antonio Brown go for a 5th and a 3rd, perhaps better to sell in a seller’s market if the opportunity presents itself. Jabril Peppers is an excellent get by Gettleman. I was a fan of Landon Collins. I think he’s the best pure box safety in the NFL. But he was unable to cover TEs which proved to be a liability. Peppers is a versatile SS with sideline to sideline speed that can cover TEs – at literally 10% the cost of Landon Collins. Peppers can also return punts and kicks. The multi-role value there is substantial.

The Giants get another 1st Rd pick at #17 – which gives the Giants three picks in the top #37. With the added 95th pick via the Browns, the Giants have five picks in a span of only 49 between the 95th and 143rd picks. After the Day Two board reset, the Giants have the picks to package and potentially go grab a player or two at the top of the 4th round. This is a very positive reset button to potentially get a good crop of young talent in a deep defensive draft class. It’s unrealistic to think all twelve picks will work out – but there’s strength in numbers.

All signs point to Saquon:

For years the Giants offense ran through OBJ. Making an elite WR the focal point of an offense has its drawbacks when the offensive line is inadequate to provide the proper protection to the QB. The WR doesn’t have time to finish the route, the QB can’t get through the reads, the offense is a fraction of what it could be. I guess the Reese and Ross show never saw the fundamental flaws with that strategy. That’s changed. This offense now runs through Saquon. Saquon Barkley had over 2000 yards from scrimmage last year – with a below average to average offensive line.

Now picture Saquon with a good offensive line and consistent holes. For everybody that’s sad to see OBJ go, be happy you get to be a Giants fan and watch Saquon maximize his potential. It’ll be fun to watch.

The Gettleman Formula is building a tough and gritty offensive line, to protect the QB, to maximize Saquon’s potential, and to rebuild the defense with young, fast playmakers. Remind you of anything? It should. This is how Giants football should be.

New York Giants: Why New Guard Kevin Zeitler Is A Tremendous Acquisition

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New York Giants, Kevin Zeitler

As New York Giants fans know, general manager Dave Gettleman loves his “hog mollies.” On Friday, the Giants made a major trade. The Giants traded edge rusher Olivier Vernon to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for one of the NFL’s top offensive guards.

That hog molly was right guard Kevin Zeitler. The Browns were reportedly shopping Zeitler earlier in the week and even tried to send him to the Giants in exchange for Odell Beckham Jr. However, the Giants laughed at that offer and completed a much better trade on Friday.

What Makes Zeitler Such A Huge Upgrade?

Kevin Zeitler has been impressively durable and consistent. These are two traits the Giants have not seen from their most recent offensive guards for a few years now. Zeitler has started 72 straight games and has not missed a snap since week 13 of the 2015 NFL season.

On top of all this, Zeitler is arguably the best pass-blocking guard in the entire NFL. He finished with the league’s highest pass blocking grade (91.7) out of any guard in 2018 according to Pro Football Focus.

To compare Zeitler’s efficient play to that of the Giants’ 2018 offensive line: Zeitler let up 11 pressures all season while Jamon Brown and Patrick Omameh let up a combined 39. That is 28 plays that the Giants missed out on as Eli Manning was milliseconds from being smothered by a gargantuan defensive lineman.

Things should change now with Kevin Zeitler in the mix. His efficient pass-blocking will give Eli Manning more time to read the field.

Eli will not be the only one benefiting from this trade. Running back Saquon Barkley will benefit from playing behind Kevin Zeitler, too. While pass-blocking is his specialty, Zeitler is not a poor run-blocker.

Overall, Zeitler is an improvement on the Giants’ offensive line in every way possible. He is more durable than any other right guard and much more efficient in pass protection.

Rising star Will Hernandez will be looking to make progress in his second season. Expect the Giants to have one of the NFL’s best guard duos in 2019 with Will Hernandez and Kevin Zeitler.

Check out this highlight of Kevin Zeitler below:

New York Giants: Dwayne Haskins Performs During On-Field Workouts At The Combine

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On Saturday, the quarterbacks, tight ends, and wide receivers participated in the NFL Combine. Many players helped improve their draft stock by impressing in the on-field workouts.

The quarterbacks got to show off their accuracy and arm strength during the on-field workouts. While the prospects were throwing at the Combine, all eyes were on one quarterback in particular: Dwayne Haskins Jr. from Ohio State University.

Dwayne Haskins Combine Highlights

One thing that scouts and analysts immediately noted for Dwayne Haskins was how quickly the ball zipped out of his hand. He has great arm strength. On top of that, Haskins can make every throw. And he can do it better than every other prospect who threw on Saturday.

To start the on-field throwing drills, the quarterbacks threw slant routes. On these slant routes, Haskins showed off his arm strength. As Daniel Jeremiah noted, you can see the ball jump out of his hand. He completed every pass and put the ball in stride and on the money on every throw during the slants.

During the curl-routes and out-routes drills, Haskins impressed. Dwayne showed great timing anticipation during these drills. His accuracy in the intermediate range was a strength in college, and that seemed no different at the combine.

Dwayne Haskins showed off his deep accuracy on the corner routes. The prospects were struggling with this throw before Haskins took a crack at it. Kurt Warner even said the prospects were completing about 10% of the throws. But once Dwayne Haskins stepped up to throw, that changed. He put every throw right on the money. He had great height on his passes and tremendous accuracy, touch, to go along with perfect timing.

Giants fans everywhere will agree with Daniel Jeremiah: Giants’ super star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. could have corralled the second pass by Haskins. Engram, too. Dwayne Haskins could be the future of the Giants’ franchise come April. The Giants seem to like him.

New York Giants’ offensive coordinator Mike Shula payed extra attention to Dwayne Haskins on Saturday. The team met with Dwayne on Friday night, then continued to scout him on Saturday. According to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News, Shula spent a lot of time chatting with Haskins on the sideline.

…Giants OC Mike Shula did stand and chat with Dwayne Haskins on the sideline during the early portion of today’s throwing session for about 8-10 minutes. Didn’t see that with anyone else. Shula also put Haskins through his initial throws before the WR portion. – Pat Leonard

Haskins was officially weighed and measured on Friday. He stood tall at 6 foot 3 and three eighths and weighed 231 pounds. It is safe to say Haskins is a big guy. Unfortunately for Dwayne Haskins, he is not a fast big guy. He ran a 5.04 40 yard dash at the Combine. He was the slowest quarterback in his group.

A good thing for Dwayne Haskins is that he is more of a thrower than a runner. His slow 40 time will not affect his draft stock at all because it is not important. Haskins will never be asked to run 40 yards straight down the field. He is a strong-armed accurate passer. He plays his best when he has time in the pocket and can scan the field. Dwayne Haskins is an accurate, pro-style quarterback.

New York Giants: Odell Beckham Jr. Vows To Dominate In 2019

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With rumors spreading that the New York Giants nearly traded star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the New England Patriots, the spark was ignited to a fiery offseason full of trade proposals and questionable motives.

Beckham has heard enough, consistently expressing his concerns over social media. Every season the rumors follow him and the option for departure clown his murky future. But, his future is with the Giants, just ask general manager Dave Gettleman who clearly indicated the team would not sign him just to trade him away.

A rookie helping a veteran:

For a star player, the noise can sometimes be too much. Antonio Brown can vouch for that, yet it seems like he welcomes the aggression and attention from fans and team executives alike. Beckham has managed to stay out of the negative spotlight ever since rookie phenom Saquon Barkley was drafted.

Who would have thought that an even bigger star the Odell would be the one to tame him and bring him back to reality. The tantrums stopped, the kicking net has been spared, and the locker room kept tightly wound. A huge difference than a season ago where everything fell apart at the seams starting with Beckham’s arrogance.

The season ahead presents a new challenge, one with a different culture behind the scenes and an upgraded offensive line. There are still units that are in dire need of support, but Gettleman will find a way to put the right pieces in place. Eli Manning’s final campaign will be exciting yet dramatic at the same time.

The New York Giants needs to help Odell Beckham Jr. stay sane:

Moving forward, Beckham must find a way to put on his blinders – look the other way when big sports networks try to sell a falsehood or narrative. It’s all smoke and mirrors – let your play do the talking.

Beckham clearly spoke to the “loyal” fans out there, and there are a lot. He said all the right things – keep your head down and work hard, that’s all the global star can do. The spotlight is for in-season, not the offseason.

Building upon a stellar four-year career is essential, and Beckham will look to break personal records in 2019 on an offense that is more than capable of success.

New York Giants: Greg Jennings Supports Odell Beckham Jr. During Trade Drama

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Everyone is tired of it by now, but there’s once again Odell Beckham Jr. trade rumors. While there’s a high chance that this is just offseason talk that won’t have much of an impact when the season rolls around, some of these rumors are picking up steam and getting attention from the press around the league. Everyone seems to have a different take on it, either in favor of or against Beckham, but one person that takes Beckham’s side is Greg Jennings, former Pro Bowl wide receiver.

Jennings appeared on FS1’s Undisputed and had some things to say about the controversial situation. “The fact of the matter is, Odell Beckham is one of the best receivers in all of football when healthy and [has] a quarterback that can get him the football,” Jennings said. Obviously, that’s a slight towards Eli Manning, who had an alright season in 2018 but didn’t perform to the standard needed to turn several close losses into wins.

But realistically, both Manning and Beckham underperformed this season. That’s not to say that the Giants should give up on building around Beckham because of it, but it’s not as simple as putting all of the blame on Manning and saying that Beckham would be back to putting on great performances if the quarterback was different.

Jennings isn’t a fan of the idea of a trade and says that it’s something the Giants should “absolutely not” do. “This is one of your best players when healthy and when given a great opportunity to compete at a high level. And when I look at Odell Beckham, I look at a young man who… We judge off of everything we’ve seen in the past. but we overlook all the good and the pros about him.”

It seems like a reasonable enough take. Beckham consistently has more negativity around him than any of the other star players on the Giants roster, and few other players around the league have had as many trade rumors brought up about them. Last season, however, it all turned out to be noise. Many will hope that this season, the end result is the same: just noise, and no action.

New York Giants: Several Former Giants To Play In The AAF

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The NFL is no longer the only professional American football league in the world. As of February 2019, the NFL will be accompanied by the Alliance of American Football (A.K.A. the AAF). The AAF is comprised of eight teams. Unfortunately, the state of New York will not be represented in the AAF. However, plenty of former New York Giants will be seen in the Alliance. So Giants fans can use that to help them decide what team to root for.

The eight teams are as follows: Arizona Hotshots, Atlanta Legends, Birmingham Iron, Memphis Express, Orlando Apollos, Salt Lake Stallions, San Antonio Commanders, and the San Diego Fleet. Ten former Giants are spread across these eight teams.

The two teams with the most former Giants are the Memphis Express and the Arizona Hotshots.

Memphis Express:

The Memphis Express is lead by head coach Mike Singletary. Singletary is a legendary former linebacker who played for the Chicago Bears. He will be coaching three former Giants on the Express.

One former Giant on the Express is tight end Adrian Robinson. Many fans remember Robinson from one infamous quote by former Giants GM Jerry Reese. Reese was quoted referring to Robinson as “the JPP of tight ends.” In 19 career games with the Giants, Robinson totaled 5 catches for 50 yards and 1 touchdown. Not exactly prime JPP production out of Robinson, however, things are likely to change in the AAF.

Another notable Giants playing in the AAF on the Express is the punter, Brad Wing. Wing was a popular player amongst Giants fans because of his ties with star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Wing and Beckham are good friends and have been ever since they were teammates in college at LSU.

The third former Giant on the Memphis Express, Charles James II, is another friend of Odell Bekcham Jr. James and Beckham even faced off in a friendly game of Madden when Odell was on the cover in 2016. Charles James II is a speedy defensive back who spent one season with the Giants in 2013. He played in 12 games and totaled 4 tackles. He then spent a couple seasons with the Houston Texans, one with the Indianapolis Colts, and now he is in the AAF.

Arizona Hotshots:

Three former Giants are on the Arizona Hotshots. However, none of the three played for the Giants in an official regular season game. The three players are an offensive lineman, a running back, and a safety.

Running back Jhurell Pressley was on the Giants as recent as 2018. He provided some quality snaps in the preseason. Unfortunately, Pressley did not make the final 53-man roster for the Giants in 2018. He will get his chance to showcase his talents with the Hotshots in 2019.

Malcom Bunche is an offensive lineman who was also with the Giants in 2018. Bunche almost made his way onto the final roster, but he got cut on the final cut day.

Free safety Rahim Moore was a member of the Giants for a very small period of time. On January 12, 2017, Moore signed a reserve/future contract with the Giants. He was released by the Giants on May 25, 2017. Moore was most productive during his time with the Denver Broncos from 2011 to 2014. Maybe the opportunity in the AAF will allow Moore to regain or surpass his production level from Denver.

The Apollos, Iron, Stallions, And Fleet:

The other four former Giants in the AAF are on the Orlando Apollos, the Birmingham Iron, the Salt Lake Stallions, and the San Diego Fleet.

On the San Diego Fleet, edge rusher Damontre Moore is a name that Giants fans may remember. Moore seemed to have a lot of potential when he was drafted in 2013, but, unfortunately, he never reached his full potential. Damontre Moore is most remembered by many Giants fans as the pass rusher who roughed the passer too many times. Despite this, Moore has landed in San Diego and will look to be an impact edge rusher in the AAF.

On the Orlando Apollos, another former Giant who never reached his full potential can be found. Will Hill was once a great safety on the backend for Big Blue. In 24 career games, Hill wracked up 115 tackles, 4 passes defended, and 2 interceptions. Hill looked like he could be a cornerstone for the Giants in his first two years, but then his off-the-field issues caught up with him. Hill was suspended for drug use and the Giants decided to move on. If Hill can remain clean off the field, he could be a top-tier player in the AAF.

Amba Etta-Tawo was a receiver for the Giants during the 2018 preseason and training camp. He emerged as one of Kyle Lauletta’s favorite targets and seemed likely to become a backup for the Giants. Unfortunately, he too was a surprise cut at the end of preseason.

A return man for the Salt Lake Stallions is Kaelin Clay. He was on the Giants in 2018 and did play in the regular season. However, Clay’s career with the Giants is unfortunately marred with one glaring bad play. In the 4th quarter of the season opener against the Jaguars, Clay muffed a punt to end the game. The Giants lost the game. Clay then suffered an injury a few weeks later and the Giants decided it was time to move on.