Odell Beckham Jr. Extension Could Alter Manning Plans
While Odell Beckham Jr. and the Giants reportedly aren’t close on an extension, it still seems like a deal will get done at some point. The team has repeatedly made it clear they don’t plan on letting their franchise player hit the open market. But whenever they do lock up Beckham, it could have a ripple effect on the team’s finances and roster, opines Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com.
Dunleavy notes that if Beckham gets the $17MM+ per year he’s looking for, it would put the Giants in rare territory. It would make the Giants one of only two teams in the league to have three players with a cap hit above $17MM, with the other being the Broncos. Eli Manning will have a cap hit of $22.2MM in 2018, while Olivier Vernon will have a $17MM cap hit. Dunleavy thinks committing so much cap space to just a couple of players could cause the Giants to look to move on from Manning sooner than they would otherwise.
Because of Manning’s importance to the franchise, Dunleavy writes the team’s handling of him is like “handling a grenade”, one that “went off in their hands last season” when they briefly tried benching Manning for Geno Smith. Dunleavy thinks that “if Manning struggles in 2018, it makes economic sense for the Giants to move on because Beckham’s inflated salary cap hit essentially could take the place of Manning’s atop the chart.” Whatever happens, it seems possible that Beckham’s looming mega-extension could mean the beginning of the end for the Manning-era in New York.
Beckham, Giants Far Apart On Extension
Odell Beckham Jr. said earlier Saturday he would not hold out from training camp, taking a different line from some of his fellow high-profile 2014 first-round peers. But that doesn’t mean everything’s good on this front.
The Giants’ best player is entering a contract year and has been angling for an extension for some time. As of now, the sides are not close on terms, with Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv reporting there has been “no movement” in these re-up talks as of late.
Beckham plans to report to Giants training camp on time, but a source informed Vacchiano those plans could change if his contract negotiations continue to stall. The 25-year-old wide receiver showed up for OTAs and minicamp, despite recovering from an injury and with Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald skipping their respective teams’ offseason activities. But this impasse has generated headlines for some time.
Beckham seeks a contract that surpasses Antonio Brown‘s and makes him the league’s highest-paid pass-catcher. Although Beckham has no first-team All-Pro appearances on his resume, compared to Brown’s four, he has an obvious case to be this position’s highest-paid player. He’s four years younger than Brown and is vital to a Giants team that’s just made it clear it still believes in Eli Manning. For Big Blue’s offense to excel, it will need Beckham.
Big Blue is set to pay its No. 1 wide receiver $8.4MM this season on a fifth-year option. Brown earns $17MM per year. A $100MM pact for Beckham has been mentioned in this lengthy saga. It’s unclear exactly where Beckham wants to take the market, but 2014 draftee Mike Evans signed for $16.5MM annually earlier this year. That almost certainly won’t cut it with Beckham, but it may be clear the Giants — at least, at this juncture — do not view a deal that far surpasses that as realistic.
In the latter stages of his rehab from a broken ankle, Beckham ran routes but did not participate in team drills at minicamp. The Giants did not invest too much in the receiver position this offseason. They released Brandon Marshall and did not draft a wideout, perhaps showing confidence they can come to terms with Beckham — a trade-rumor subject earlier this offseason — before the start of the regular season. Although Dave Gettleman‘s taken hardline stances with Panthers players in the past, John Mara hasn’t made it a secret what he thinks about the LSU alum’s abilities.
Odell Beckham Jr. Says He Won’t Hold Out
There’s no need to worry, Giants fans. While we previously heard reports that Odell Beckham Jr. would likely attend Giants training camp, the receiver has confirmed the news himself. The 25-year-old told Ralph Vacchiano that he’ll indeed be at Giants camp and won’t be holding out (Twitter link).
Beckham, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury last year, had received clearance to participate in Giants work outs earlier this week. However, the wideout decided to skip team drills, focusing instead on progressing his recovery. The Pro Bowler is still hoping to participate in 11-on-11 drills by training camp, and reports indicated that the star receiver and the team were on the same page.
Of course, just because Beckham isn’t planning a hold out doesn’t mean he isn’t eyeing a brand-new contract. The receiver is set to earn nearly $8.5MM next season before hitting unrestricted free agency, and he’d surely opt for a lucrative long-term deal with the Giants considering his recent injury history. However, if New York isn’t willing to hand Beckham one of the largest contracts of all time, the receiver might be willing to play out the 2018 season and test his market next offseason.
Following three straight seasons with at least 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns, Beckham was limited to only 25 receptions for 302 yards and three touchdowns in 4 games (two starts) last season.
Jon Halapio Operating As Starting C
- The Giants may have a new contender for the center job. Jon Halapio is making a strong push to be the starting snapper, with Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reporting the fifth-year player has emerged in this role after an “extremely strong” spring. Brett Jones entered the offseason as the player most observers assumed would succeed Weston Richburg as Big Blue’s full-time center, and the Giants tendered him at a second-round level. Halapio, once a sixth-round Patriots pick, re-signed as an ERFA. He started six games last season as a guard, his first action as a pro despite being a 2014 draftee, and has now impressed the Giants’ new coaching staff. While that second-round tender should give Jones a good chance come camp, this is an interesting situation on a retooling offensive line.
Giants HC On OBJ
- Giants head coach Pat Shurmur said he expects all his players to be at training camp. He added that there is ‘no reason to believe’ Odell Beckham won’t be able to do everything at practice (Twitter link via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com). For now, Beckham seems on course to attend training camp even as he pressures the team for a monster multi-year extension.
Latest On Odell Beckham Jr.
Odell Beckham Jr.‘s received clearance to work out with the Giants, and the superstar wide receiver has expanded his drill repertoire since OTAs. But Beckham still has a bit of progress to make before being full-go.
The fifth-year wideout is running routes after bypassing that portion of practices at OTAs, per Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. Although Pat Shurmur said Beckham has been cleared for minicamp work, New York’s top weapon is not participating in team drills.
Upon clearing Beckham, the Giants hoped he would be able to participate in some team work this week, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets, but he’s being held out of such activity. Anderson reports Beckham’s preference is to abstain from team reps this week and continue his progression, with the obvious goal to return to 11-on-11 work come training camp. Beckham has reported to the Giants, taking the opposite route of 2014 first-rounders Aaron Donald and Khalil Mack, but the ankle injury that ended his 2017 season will still limit him.
The Giants and Beckham are on the same page regarding this process, Kimberly Jones of NFL.com tweets, adding this course of action has been the plan since April.
“Cleared to practice. Cleared to practice. Let’s not worry about it,” Shurmur said. “He’s cleared to practice, and that’s what he was doing. … He’s out there practicing. If you all wanna count the reps, go ahead. But he was out there practicing. He’s cleared to practice. … I don’t necessarily think it helps anybody to play the word game here.”
Beckham remains in pursuit of a likely landmark extension, which is likely affecting the measured progression here. He’s one of several 2014 draftees in that boat presently.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/12/18
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/11/18
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: S Travell Dixon
- Waived/Injured: S Jonathan Owens
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: DT Joey Mbu
New York Giants
- Signed: CB Kenneth Durden, OT Jarron Jones
- Cut: OT Tyler Howell
Giants' OBJ Reports For Physical
- Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. reported to the Giants‘ facility for his physical on Monday, a source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). That’s a sign that OBJ’s “plans” to attend minicamp on Tuesday will come to fruition. It remains to be seen if and when the Giants will reach a new multi-year accord with the dynamic offensive star.
OBJ Plans To Attend Giants Minicamp
Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. plans to attend the team’s minicamp, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The mandatory minicamp gets underway on Tuesday.
Beckham participated in a portion of the Giants’ voluntary OTAs earlier this year, but his plans for mandatory minicamp have been unclear. OBJ is pushing for a new contract extension, and some believed that he would skip minicamp and absorb a significant fine in order to send a message to the Giants. Of course, OBJ’s plans could always change and attendance doesn’t necessarily equal participation. The wide receiver still needs to gain medical clearance on the broken ankle he suffered in 2017.
For now, Beckham is slated to make $8.45MM this season. He’s pushing for a multi-year contract that would likely eclipse the deal signed by Bucs star Mike Evans, which would give him upwards of $82.5MM in total. OBJ’s camp will likely ask for a deal in excess of $90MM and could even try for something in the $100MM range, with 40% of the deal fully guaranteed.
In each of his first three seasons, Beckham had more than 90 catches, 1,300 yards, and ten touchdowns. Last year, Beckham’s injury shut him down after just four contests.