Opinion: Giants Smart To Keep JPP
- There were some mixed views on the Giants re-signing Jason Pierre-Paul, but ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan was a fan of the move. The G-Men gave JPP $40MM guaranteed, but Raanan argues that good pass rushers are hard to find and that scarcity makes the deal a savvy one. The Giants’ need for JPP, he argued, was only underscored by the team’s awful pass rush against the Packers in the postseason when they were without him.
Giants Sign Evan Engram
The Giants have signed their first-round pick, tight end Evan Engram, according to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY (on Twitter). The team’s entire six-player draft class is now under contract.
Engram, whom the Giants chose 23rd overall, played the previous four years at Ole Miss, where he combined for 162 receptions and 15 touchdowns. He pulled in career highs in catches (65), yards (926) and scores (eight) last year en route to First-Team All-America honors and a high selection in the draft. Now, the field-stretching Engram (6-foot-3, 234 pounds) should take over as the Giants’ top tight end, supplanting Will Tye, who caught 48 passes for a paltry 8.2 yards per reception last season.
Here’s a refresher on the rest of Big Blue’s picks:
- 2-55: Dalvin Tomlinson, DT (Alabama)
- 3-87: Davis Webb, QB (California)
- 4-140: Wayne Gallman, RB (Clemson)
- 5-167: Avery Moss, DE (Youngstown State)
- 6-200: Adam Bisnowaty, T (Pittsburgh)
OBJ Says OTA Absence Was Not Because Of Money
- Odell Beckham Jr. grabbed headlines this month by staying away from the Giants during OTAs, but he says that he’s not fretting his contract situation. “I leave that in the hands of the man above,” Beckham said (according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post on Twitter). “When that time comes, that time comes. Right now is really not the time to discuss it. When it comes, it’ll come.”
- Giants defensive end Owa Odighizuwa is handling “personal issues” and isn’t expected to be present at mandatory minicamp, reports ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan (via Twitter). The former third-round pick, who also wasn’t present for OTAs, has played in 18 games over the past two seasons, compiling six tackles.
[SOURCE LINK]
Odell Beckham Jr. Reports To Giants
ODB is in the house. The Giants welcomed Odell Beckham Jr. to the team facility today for his scheduled physical, as Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. The receiver also posted a video on Instagram declaring that he is “back” and ready to go. 
[RELATED: Giants To Keep D.J. Fluker At Guard]
Tuesday marks the start of mandatory minicamp and there was little fear that Beckham Jr. would extend his holdout into that phase of the offseason. His participation in team activities before that point, however, could be taken as a sign of good vibes between the two sides. There are conflicting reports on whether Beckham Jr. was staying away from the team to gain leverage for a new deal, but if that is indeed the case, then it doesn’t sound like the receiver is necessarily mad at the team.
The Giants don’t have a ton of incentive to give Beckham Jr. a new contract this offseason. For now, he’s slated to play out 2017 for a below-market $1.8MM salary. Then, the Giants control Beckham through a fifth-year option for $8.5MM, a rate that is still quite affordable for a player of his caliber. It would make sense for the Giants to open up talks with Beckham next offseason, though the team could still control him for years beyond 2018 with the franchise tag.
In 2016, Beckham earned his third consecutive Pro Bowl nod with 101 receptions for 1,367 yards and ten touchdowns.
Kratch On OBJ, Rosas
- In the same piece, Kratch says the Giants really like second-year kicker Aldrick Rosas, who has been exceedingly impressive in offseason practices, and that it is unlikely Big Blue adds a veteran kicker at this point.
- We have heard a lot about a potential long-term deal for Giants receiver Odell Beckham lately, but James Kratch of NJ.com, like many other writers, believes the most likely outcome is that OBJ plays out the 2017 season on his modest $1.8MM salary and that the two sides begin discussing a multi-year extension after the season.
- In the same piece, Kratch says the Giants really like second-year kicker Aldrick Rosas, who has been exceedingly impressive in offseason practices, and that it is unlikely Big Blue adds a veteran kicker at this point.
Giants To Keep D.J. Fluker At Guard
- The Giants‘ tackle situation is not as enviable, but a consensus appears to be forming. Big Blue seems to agree with the Chargers’ coaching staffs of the past two years. D.J. Fluker did not play right tackle during OTAs, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com notes, focusing strictly on guard duty. Even after Bobby Hart was absent during the team’s final OTA sessions, sixth-round rookie Adam Bisnowaty took first-team reps instead of Fluker on the right edge, Raanan writes. Fluker played right tackle during his first two seasons in San Diego, but the Giants are going with Hart — a 2015 seventh-round pick — right now. This means Fluker may have a tougher time auditioning, barring injury, for a long-term contract with the Giants re-signing holdover right guard John Jerry. Fluker is signed to a one-year deal.
Opinion: Giants Have Leverage Over Beckham
- Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. could land a $100MM contract eventually. For now, though, the Giants have all the leverage, observes Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com. Beckham’s on a dirt-cheap $1.8MM salary this season, and he’s controllable in 2018 via an eminently affordable fifth-year option ($8.5MM). After that, Beckham could get the $18.3MM franchise tag in 2019, meaning he’d only cost Big Blue $28.6MM over the next three seasons. Even if the Giants were to tag Beckham again in 2020, the four-year total would still be a more-than-reasonable $50.6MM.
Odell Beckham To Get $100MM+?
We have heard conflicting reports as to whether Odell Beckham‘s absence from OTAs is connected to his desire for a new contract, but regardless of OBJ’s motivations, the Giants want to keep him around for the long haul. They have not yet started long-term negotiations with their star wideout, but they do have some time, as Beckham is under contract through the 2018 season.
Of course, New York could hit Beckham with the franchise tag after after 2018, but as the division-rival Redskins have learned, that approach could get very expensive very fast, and it makes sense that Big Blue would want to lock Beckham up sooner rather than later. And when that happens, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.com says
After all, as Vacchiano observes, Beckham’s age (24) and incredible stats through his first three seasons in the league have put him into rarefied air, which means that he will be more than entitled to ask for the five years that Julio Jones recently got from the Falcons, and an average annual value that bests the $17MM figure that the 28-year-old Antonio Brown landed with the Steelers. Vacchiano suggests that the Giants might start their negotiations at five years, $90MM (with $45MM guaranteed), and from there, it would not be difficult to see Beckham eclipse the $100MM mark. Per Vacchiano, NFL agents and front office personnel believe he will at least come close if he stays healthy and productive between now and the time contract talks really get serious, which Vacchiano says will likely happen at the end of the 2017 season.
Giants See Paul Perkins As Three-Down Back
- The Giants regard Paul Perkins a three-down running back, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, who points out that their opinion of Perkins explains why they didn’t make a splash at the position in free agency. Perkins averaged 4.1 yards per carry on 112 attempts during his rookie year and is now the clear favorite to start over the likes of Shane Vereen, Orleans Darkwa, Shaun Draughn and Wayne Gallman. “I really like what Paul Perkins has been doing so far,” said RBs coach Craig Johnson. “He ended last season playing like a guy that is ready to take over the job. There is nothing so far in the offseason to show he’s not going to be able to handle that role. But that is today. It’s a long way from today to the opening game.”
Giants Sign Corbin Bryant
The Giants have signed defensive tackle Corbin Bryant and waived interior offensive lineman Khaled Holmes, tweets James Kratch of NJ.com.
The 29-year-old Bryant brings a fair amount of experience to New York, having appeared in 56 games with the Steelers and Bills since entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent from Northwestern in 2011. Fifty-five of Bryant’s appearances have come in Buffalo, where he started in 16 of 24 games from 2015-16. Bryant missed half of last season, an eight-game, six-start showing, and received poor marks from Pro Football Focus for his performance. The year before, though, he saw action in each of Buffalo’s contests, piled up a career-high 45 tackles across 10 starts, and drew a positive grade from PFF.
Now, Bryant will attempt to catch on with a Giants team that lost starting D-tackle Johnathan Hankins to the Colts in free agency. Big Blue still has standout nose tackle Damon Harrison, of course, and used a second-round pick on former Alabama D-tackle Dalvin Tomlinson. Backups Jay Bromley and Robert Thomas are also on hand to offer some experience, but not as much as Bryant.
Holmes, who joined the Giants on a reserve/futures deal in January, has seen his career stall since the Colts cut him after the 2015 season. The 2013 fourth-rounder started in nine of 17 appearances as a Colt over three seasons.