Getty There are two reasons why a reunion between OBJ and the Giants won't happen.
Odell Beckham Jr. left his visit with the New York Giants without a contract and there’s now “considerable doubt” the three-time Pro-Bowler will eventually seal a return to MetLife Stadium.
The doubt stems from two important factors, according to one NFL reporter. He’s indicated the Giants may be reluctant to meet one of Beckham’s key demands.
Their reluctance would be justified, based on concerns about OBJ’s ability to have any impact on the field during the remainder of the 2022 season.
Giants Have 2 Reasons to Shun Beckham Reunion
Handing Beckham the kind of deal he’s after will be a problem for the Giants, according to Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano. He spoke with one league executive who said the Giants “may be sentimental favorites to some, but they’re a bad fit for a variety of reasons — especially financially, since no one around the NFL thinks the Giants will give Beckham the kind of financial commitment he wants.”
That level of commitment is estimated by Vacchiano to be “$20 million per year” over the course of a “multi-year contract.” Any team funding an outlay on this scale needs to know Beckham is fully healthy.
It’s unlikely he’ll be 100 percent this season after tearing his left ACL for the second time as a member of the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI. Dealing with another major knee injury and subsequent surgery less than 12 months ago is why “there is ‘considerable doubt’ around the league about just how healthy Beckham is, one NFC executive said, and whether he’ll really be able to contribute much this season.”
Taking a chance on Beckham now is a gamble based on what he’s done in the past. Those numbers are enticing, per NFL on CBS, but there’s no reasonable estimate for what level of production Beckham is able to muster at this stage of his career:
Odell Beckham receiving yards per game by season
2014 108.8
2015 96.7
2016 85.4
2017 75.5
2018 87.7
2019 64.7
2020 45.6
2021 38.4
Money and injury concerns make for a bad combination for the Giants, who need Beckham, but not enough to derail their plans for the future.
Giants Have More Pressing Concerns Than OBJ
If Beckham isn’t healthy enough to contribute much this season, then the Giants don’t need this deal. Their stagnant passing attack, averaging just 197.8 yards per game, needs help now, not in 10 months time.
The interim period will be filled with tricky decisions for Giants’ general manager Joe Schoen. Pressing concerns like the futures of free agents quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley.
One is likely to get the franchise tag, while the other receives the kind of contract Beckham covets. Barkley and Jones aren’t the only free agents the Giants may be keen to offer fresh terms.
There’s also safety Julian Love and wide receiver Darius Slayton. Sparing some of the $51,317,025 Spotrac.com projects the Giants to have under the salary cap for core players makes more sense than paying outbidding the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills for Beckham.
The lure of a reunion is strong on a personal level, thanks to Beckham’s friendships with Barkley and wideout Sterling Shepard. Those relationships are why SNYtv’s Connor Hughes believes “you can’t just cross the Giants off the list of potential teams for Beckham yet.”
“Something just feels like Beckham really does want New York as much as New York wants Beckham”
@Connor_J_Hughes reports from Giants’ camp on Big Blue’s efforts to land Odell Beckham Jr.:
Hughes has a point, but the more practical move may be for the Giants to leave the past where it belongs.