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.
Injury Concerns Causing Giants To Drag Feet On Odell Beckham Jr. Extension?
Lots has been written about Giants All-Pro wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and his contract. Beckham has stayed away from the team this offseason as he angles for a longterm deal. He’s also still rehabbing from a devastating ankle injury that cost him most of the 2017 season, but expects to be fully cleared soon.
The ankle may have something to do with why the Giants have been slow to engage Beckham in extension talks, writes Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. Vacchiano thinks the Giants want Beckham to prove he’s fully healthy and capable of being the same explosive player he was before the injury before they commit to him longterm, writing in regards to his ankle “yes, that is one of the reasons contract negotiations haven’t really gotten going.”
Vacchiano thinks it “would be crazy to give Beckham the kind of money he wants – perhaps $20 million per year, perhaps as much as $60 million guaranteed and $100 million total – without being absolutely sure he’s fully healthy and the same player.” It will be interesting to see if the Giants do indeed play hardball with Beckham, and Beckham’s situation will surely be one of the biggest stories in the league this summer.
Giants Looking To Wait On Landon Collins Extension?
In a recent column, Geoff Mosher of Thescore.com talked about Giants All-Pro safety Landon Collins, how he’ll adjust to new defensive coordinator James Bettcher‘s scheme, and how it might impact Collins’ potential contract extension.
Mosher writes that since Bettcher blitzes heavily, his scheme will require Collins to play a lot of man coverage, something that isn’t his strong suit. Mosher opines that the Giants may decide Collins isn’t as impactful as he once was in the new scheme, and that they don’t want to pay him top-safety dollar, around $12-13MM annually, when his contract expires after this year.
Mosher notes that the Giants will want to see how Collins adapts to the change in his role throughout the offseason but says “the longer the Giants wait, the more they risk Collins opting to test free agency.” It’ll be interesting to watch how this plays out, and if the Giants opt not to lock Collins up, he’ll be one of the biggest names on the market in March of 2019.