Getty The New York Giants "will not be players" for a Super Bowl-winning wide receiver in free agency.
The New York Giants have done enough to bolster their wide receiver corps not to have to enter the sweepstakes to sign Odell Beckham Jr. That’s according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, who believes it’s time to put the “dream to rest” of a Beckham reunion at MetLife Stadium:
This now solidifies that the Giants will not be players for Odell Beckham Jr. Put that dream to rest. He is/was out of their price range.
Raanan thinks the Giants “will not be players” for OBJ because of recent moves like the decision to re-sign Darius Slayton and acquire Parris Campbell from the Indianapolis Colts. Those aren’t the only moves general manager Joe Schoen has made to improve the supporting cast around quarterback Daniel Jones.
The others include trading a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft to the Las Vegas Raiders for two-time 1,000-yard tight end Darren Waller. Schoen has also re-signed wideouts Sterling Shepard and Isaiah Hodgins.
A busy period of recruitment and keeping their own has left the Giants suddenly looking stacked in the pass-catchers department. Yet, that hasn’t stopped Beckham from dropping a hint about a possible Giants return.
He responded to a tweet from friend and former Giants teammate Saquon Barkley, telling the star running back: “Tell Joe call my agent…’
@saquon Tell Joe call my agent 😂…. I got some more shxt left to do
Whether Beckham was joking or not, Raanan’s point about the player’s potentially prohibitive cost is useful, since the 30-year-old who helped the Los Angeles Rams win Super Bowl LVI wants “a multi-year contract,” according to Jordan Schultz of The Score.
Schultz also reported “positive discussions” have already taken place between Beckham and the Dallas Cowboys:
Despite the signs pointing away from the Giants, some still believe he could suit up again for Big Blue in 2023.
Giants Still Linked to 3-Time Pro-Bowler, but Cost an Issue
Among those who still think the Giants are in with a shout, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reported via Instagram the team is “still in the mix for Odell Beckham.”
The Giants will remain among those linked with Beckham, based on his five-year stint with the team after being drafted 12th overall back in 2014. Proof that some ties still bind was offered by the Giants attending the recent private workout Beckham held to show interested teams he’s recovered from tearing his left ACL for the second time in his career back in February, 2022.
It’s still a matter of cost, but Heavy’s NFL front office insider Randy Mueller doesn’t think Beckham will earn $15 million per year in base salary: “I don’t think anybody’s going to pay that price.”
Yet, that doesn’t mean the player who was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year with the Giants will be available for cheap. Instead, Spotrac.com calculates the receiver’s market value at $13.5 million annually over four years.
The Giants would have trouble accommodating such a figure since Schoen has just $4,145,556 to work with under the salary cap after agreeing multiple deals in free agency. Many of those deals reduce the Giants’ need for Beckham.
Giants No Longer Desperate for Receiver Help
Signing Campbell to a one-year deal gave the Giants a useful speedster with plenty of upside who can be effective in the red zone. His arrival, coupled with giving a new two-year contract to Slayton, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, means the Giants have ensured Jones has two vertical threats to aim for in 2023.
Campbell and Slayton will stretch the field on the outside, while Waller owns defenses between the hashmarks. It’s a potentially dynamic trio, and Slayton has already expressed his excitement about what the new season might hold for the Giants and their new-look passing game:
The restocked group suddenly appears to have no room for an expensive veteran like Beckham. There’s still a need for a true No. 1 flanker, but Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll would be smarter to delve into a deep and talented collection of wide receives in this year’s draft for that kind of help.