Odell Beckham Jr.

Odell Beckham Jr. Optimistic About New Contract

August 5th, 2018 at 9:27am CST by Rory Parks

Earlier this week, the Giants and Odell Beckham Jr. finally began contract talks, and although it’s only been a couple of days, it appears that things are moving in the right direction. Per Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com, OBJ is optimistic that a new contract will get done, and Raanan suggests that the two sides could come to terms before the start of the regular season.

In his first news conference since last October, Beckham said, “Optimistic? Yeah. I’m optimistic. I’m confident it will all work itself out. It always does.”

Of course, Beckham has repeatedly expressed a desire to become the game’s highest-paid receiver, and it was not too long ago that we heard his next contract could approach $100MM in total value. However, the three-time Pro Bowler did imply that he may have to settle for a little less in order to obtain long-term security. He said, “Who doesn’t want to get more money? Everybody does. Realistically, you try to be realistic with yourself. You see what happened over the offseason. Can’t really worry about everybody else. Just let them figure it out, and whenever it happens it will happen.”

Unlike some of his fellow stars, Beckham has elected to participate in training camp, which is in keeping with his belief that holdouts are not an effective negotiating tool. He understands that he could suffer an injury in camp that could at the very least throw a major wrench into negotiations, but he believes that is a risk worth taking. After all, he is just happy to be on the field again after a difficult 2017 campaign that was cut short by a broken ankle.

The ankle injury not only kept Beckham off the field, but it had a dramatic impact on his personal life as well. During his news conference, Beckham said that there were times over the last year when he would fall asleep on the couch and then have to crawl up the stairs because of the limitations created by the injury.

And, although he was fully cleared to return to practice in June, he says he truly started to feel like his old self over the course of the past month. He said, “It’s kind of over the last month I’ve taken a huge stride. I remember maybe two months ago it wasn’t as smooth and I wasn’t getting out of cuts. You kind of get that frustration and want to get back to where you were at. But now that I’m here, it has been a lot of hard work put it. Lot of doctors, lot of treatment, lot of rehab, lot of pain that you’ve been in. It’s nice to be here now.”

By all accounts, Beckham and new head coach Pat Shurmur have a strong relationship, and it appears that Beckham is appreciative of the clean slate that the Giants’ offseason coaching and front office overhaul provided. He did not say whether there is a deadline for getting a deal done, but it sounds as if it could happen soon. Despite his injury-marred 2017, Beckham’s age (25), talent, and productivity to date will likely result in a major payday (especially in light of the booming wide receiver market). A five-year pact worth around $80MM, including $35MM in full guarantees, seems like a reasonable estimate.

Giants, Odell Beckham Jr. Begin Talks

August 2nd, 2018 at 11:39am CST by Zachary Links

The Giants and Odell Beckham Jr. have finally begun contract talks, according to a source who spoke with Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. The two sides started discussing a new deal earlier this week, just days after owner John Mara vowed to get things started “sooner rather than later.”

Of the 12 wide receivers that were drafted in the first two rounds of the 2014 draft, ten have received new deals within the past year. Beckham, who is the most talented of the bunch, is still waiting. That’s partially due to Beckham’s ankle injury last year and also likely tied to the team’s concerns about his maturity. But, they’re on the right track now, and a new deal could come together between now and the season opener against the Jaguars on Sept. 9.

Beckham’s next deal could easily make him the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL. It’s possible that OBJ will seek to not only top Antonio Brown‘s $17MM/year salary, but also Mike Evans‘ $55MM in total guarantees. It remains to be seen whether the Giants are willing to go there, but they are more open to numbers like that after seeing him hustle in practice.

“I see what I expected to see when we started to communicate back in February,” Shurmur said earlier this week. “This guy loves to play football, he trains extremely hard, he’s totally engaged in the meetings behind the scenes, the things that the world is not aware of, and he’s got a lot of passion for the game. We were just out in a walk-through and I saw three or four times when he was talking to different players about certain techniques within the play. That’s all good stuff.”

New York Notes: Darnold, Breeland, OBJ, Apple

July 29th, 2018 at 1:05pm CST by Rory Parks

In the wake of Elijah McGuire‘s broken foot, the Jets signed RB George Atkinson III earlier today. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the team’s first choice was Alfred Morris, who obviously comes with considerably more experience than Atkinson (Gang Green brought Morris in for a visit yesterday). Rapoport says the two sides could not come together on contract terms, so Morris remains a free agent and Atkinson is now a Jet.

Now for more notes from the two clubs who call the Meadowlands home:

The Jets still have interest in free agent CB Bashaud Breeland, per ESPN’s Josina Anderson (via Twitter). There’s still no word on whether Breeland will visit with Gang Green, but a number of clubs are interested in his services. Breeland remains undecided for the time being.
Just yesterday, we heard that offset language was no longer the issue holding up contract negotiations between the Jets and rookie QB Sam Darnold. Instead, the latest reports suggested that how and when the guarantees in Darnold’s contract could void is the real sticking point. But Rich Cimini of ESPN.com says offset language and the guaranteed money issue are still matters that need to be resolved. Cimini does not think that the holdout will get as bad as the infamous Joey Bosa/Chargers standoff several years ago, but Darnold is in a different situation because he is a quarterback, not a defensive lineman. Every practice he misses is critical, and while there are not enough details to know which party is in the “right” in this case — though Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News opines that Darnold’s agent’s stance with respect to the offset language is ridiculous and selfish — this is fast becoming a lose-lose situation for player and team.
Odell Beckham Jr. has excelled in Giants training camp thus far, and he looks committed and healthy, per Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Raanan ends his tweet with an emphatic, “pay the man.”
Though it’s obviously still early in training camp, the Giants‘ offensive line has left much to be desired in summer practices thus far, as Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com writes. Dunleavy lists a few OL free agents that Big Blue might consider bringing in, and he also names Denzelle Good, who is currently fighting for a starting job with the Colts, as an interesting trade candidate.
After two seasons as a backup cornerback with the Titans, Curtis Riley saw an opportunity to start at free safety with the Giants, which encouraged him to sign with Big Blue in March. Thus far, his conversion to safety is going swimmingly, and Greg Joyce of the New York Post writes that Riley has a legitimate chance to win the starting FS job.
Giants CB Eli Apple‘s maturity issues and lack of effort have gotten him into plenty of hot water with his teammates and coaches during his first two seasons in the pros, but new head coach Pat Shurmur is impressed with Apple’s attitude and his play thus far. Shurmur said, via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, “I’m seeing a guy that’s all about his business. He’s very businesslike. And he’s covering really well, a really good attribute for a corner. I like the way he’s working. He’s out there challenging, but he’s also being smart. And I like the way he’s functioning in the building. Very attentive in meetings. In my mind, and based on what I’ve seen, he’s acting like a pro.”

NFC East Notes: Giants, Beckham, Cowboys, Frazier, Eagles

July 27th, 2018 at 8:20pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

There’s been endless drama this offseason surrounding the Giants and Odell Beckham Jr. Things finally appear to be headed in the right direction for the two sides, and the much awaited contract extension could finally be on the horizon. Beckham recently opted to report to camp on time rather than hold out, and Giants management has in turn spoken very highly of him. Now that a new contract in the near future finally seems like a real possibility, Matt Lombardo of NJ.com spoke with former NFL agent and current CBS Sports analyst Joel Corry and cap expert Jason Fitzgerald of Overthecap.com about what kind of deal Beckham can expect to get.

Corry said the number one most important thing is that “there wouldn’t be a deal to be made if it didn’t make Beckham the highest-paid wide receiver by average, and with the most guarantees.” Mike Evans recently got a five-year $85MM deal from the Buccaneers, and Corry is quite confident that Beckham will top that. While Fitzgerald notes that the Giants have a league-low $2.13MM in cap space, he thinks they’ll be able to make a deal work by using a “large signing bonus to bring his current year salary down.” Fitzgerald thinks Beckham won’t “sign for anything less than $20 million a season” a number that would make him the league’s highest paid receiver by a substantial margin. Whatever his deal ends up looking like, it seems as if the saga is finally nearing an end and that Beckham will be locked up long-term before too long.

Here’s more from the NFC East:

Cowboys safety Kavon Frazier may have a blood disorder, a source told Brandon George of SportsDay Dallas News. Frazier, who played in 15 games for Dallas last season, is undergoing tests to determine if he will be able to return to the field. The Cowboys placed him on the non-football injury list just before training camp started.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports would be “shocked if the Eagles don’t make at least two more trades” before the start of the regular season. La Canfora thinks that because of the team’s depth at positions like running back and quarterback, they’ll be forced to move some players through trade rather than cut solid players. La Canfora writes that Eagles president Howie Roseman will try to “spin some of that quantity into truly elite quality” and that he will “explore every option to do so.”
In case you missed it, the Redskins signed quarterback Colt McCoy to an extension yesterday.

Giants, OBJ Have Yet To Discuss Deal

July 26th, 2018 at 12:28pm CST by Zachary Links

The Giants haven’t started contract negotiations with Odell Beckham Jr., owner John Mara told reporters on Thursday (Twitter link via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com). Mara went on to say that talks will begin “sooner rather than later” and will start “pretty soon.”

The Giants have been somewhat reluctant to enter serious talks with Beckham, in part because of their concerns about his maturity. Gradually, however, that perception is changing. Mara believes Beckham is moving in the right direction and his attendance for OTAs, minicamp, and the start of training camp is meaningful for the team.

When talks get underway, Beckham’s side will push for a deal that far exceeds Brandin Cooks‘ new five-year, $80MM+ extension with the Rams. Locking up OBJ, who had three straight seasons with at least 1,300 yards and ten touchdowns, will cost the club at least $90MM with substantial guarantees.

Alternatively, the Giants could control OBJ through the 2020 season via consecutive franchise tags. Doing that would keep the proverbial carrot on the stick for Beckham and minimize the club’s long-term risk, but they would also be exposing themselves to offseason drama and holdout threats.

East Notes: Giants, OBJ, Cowboys, Patriots

July 25th, 2018 at 9:43pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Giants don’t appear to have moved any closer to a contract extension for star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., according to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. A source tells Vacchiano New York has taken a patient approach to negotiations, as the club not only wanted to check in on Beckham’s health after he missed most of the 2017 season, but his commitment. Beckham reported to training camp on time, an indication that he’s both ready to play and talk about a new deal. Despite his injury issues in 2017, Beckham figures to reset the wide receiver market on his next contract, which could have an annual salary north of $17MM.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions:

Speaking of Beckham, TMZ Sports recently reported the Giants wideout is being sued in civil court, but Beckham says he’s the victim of extortion, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. “Mr. Beckham denies the recently added allegations, and further denies any wrongdoing whatsoever related to the alleged incident,” Beckham’s attorney said. “As stated before, he will not be extorted and his position as to the pending suit has not changed.” The suit against Beckham contains allegations of drug use, violence, and other transgressions, but it’s hard to imagine anything serious will come of the case.
Despite the NFL’s recent pullback on their national anthem policy, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said today that he will not allow any of his players to remain in the locker room during the anthem, per Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). The league will no longer enforce its previously announced policy, which would have led to teams being fined if players “did not respect” the anthem. It’s unclear exactly what Jones can do to prevent his players from staying in the locker room, or performing a visual protest, but it’s an issue to keep an eye as the season gets underway.
Patriots offensive tackle Marcus Cannon only appeared in seven games last season as he battled an ankle injury, but he’s “good to go” ahead of training camp, tweets Jeff Howe of The Athletic. While New England will face upheaval at the left tackle position, right tackle is spoken for by Cannon, who’s become one of the league’s best players on the right side. Cannon signed a five-year, $32.5MM extension with the Patriots in 2016, meaning he’s now under contract through the 2021 campaign.
Former Wisconsin and Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema is now officially a member of the Patriots’ staff, reports Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who adds Bielema’s official title will be “consultant to the head coach.” While it’s unclear exactly why Bielema will be doing as he advises Bill Belichick, he sounded incredibly excited about his new role when speaking to the media earlier this year.

Odell Beckham Jr. To Report To Giants

July 23rd, 2018 at 12:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Odell Beckham Jr will report on time to Giants training camp on Wednesday, Kim Jones of NFL Network tweets. This news was largely expected as OBJ told reporters in June that he would not hold out.

“He wants to play football, he wants to win,” a source close to Beckham told Jones.

In June, it was reported that the Giants and OBJ have yet to start serious extension discussions. One month later, we have yet to hear about any new developments on that front. Beckham is likely frustrated by the lack of talks, but he’ll put his best foot forward in an effort to compel the new regime to give him a mammoth extension.

Beckham’s three full seasons all rank in the top five in Giants history and he’s on pace to become the club’s best all-time wide receiver. He’s looking for a monster deal to match, and that probably means a package of at least $90MM with substantial guarantees. The Giants want to get a deal done, but Beckham’s injury history and maturity issues are giving them some pause.

OBJ is set to earn nearly $8.5MM in 2018 before, theoretically, hitting the open market. Of course, it’s highly unlikely the Giants will allow Beckham to get anywhere near free agency. Realistically, Beckham can be retained via the franchise tag for the following two seasons, keeping him under club control through the 2020 season.

East Notes: Beckham, S. Jones, Patriots

June 24th, 2018 at 10:20am CST by Rory Parks

The Giants and star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. are far apart in extension talks, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk believes Beckham should stage a holdout. After all, if Beckham reports for training camp — as he said he will do — but does not get the deal he’s looking for, then he would essentially be foreclosed from holding out. As Florio notes, a player who reports and then leaves subjects himself to a “five-day letter,” in which a team advises such player that, if he does not return within five days, he will be put on the reserve/left squad list, thereby tolling his contract for a full year. And, if Beckham reports but does not practice with the team until he gets a new deal, he could be subject to fines and suspension for conduct detrimental to the team.

As such, Florio believes Beckham’s only chance to get the contract he deserves this year is to hold out and put a little pressure on the Giants, which none of his other alternatives would do. Beckham, though, appears to be sensitive to the stigma associated with holdouts, so this will remain a fascinating case to monitor.

Now for more from the league’s east divisions:

Matt Lombardo of NJ.com names the secondary as perhaps the biggest weakness on the Giants‘ roster, though he says UDFA cornerback Grant Haley — who reportedly received a whopping $100K in guaranteed money from Big Blue — could be a solid slot corner in his rookie season. Lombardo also says the team could reunite with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, which grows more likely the longer DRC lingers on the open market.
Eagles cornerback Sidney Jones had a strong offseason, but as Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com observes, Jones spent the last three practices of the spring on the sideline with soreness in his lower body. Philadelphia has said that soreness is wholly unrelated to the Achilles injury that forced Jones to miss almost all of his rookie season, but Shorr-Parks says the fact that the Washington product was forced to miss the most important practices of the spring with a vague injury is noteworthy. The team needs Jones to live up to his collegiate potential, which would have a positive trickle-down effect on the rest of a secondary that needs to replace Patrick Robinson (as of now, Shorr-Parks says, Jalen Mills is the favorite to serve as the Eagles’ nickel corner, a role that Robinson filled so admirably last year).
Free agent WR Eric Decker indicated earlier this week that the Patriots would be a good fit for him, and while no team — including the Patriots – has publicly expressed interest in Decker in nearly three months, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com says New England could be interested once it has had the opportunity to fully evaluate its receiving corps in training camp.
One potentially key member of the Patriots‘ receiving corps, Malcolm Mitchell, is unsure if he will be ready for the start of training camp. Per Stephen Hewitt of the Boston Herald, Mitchell — who missed all of the 2017 campaign with a knee injury after a promising rookie season — simply said “we’ll see” when asked if he would be ready to go when camp opens next month. New England would love to have a healthy Mitchell, especially in light of Julian Edelman‘s impending four-game suspension.
Reiss says that Patriots‘ UDFA punter Corey Bojorquez is a legitimate threat to incumbent Ryan Allen.

Giants, Odell Beckham Jr. Yet To Begin Serious Extension Discussions

June 20th, 2018 at 9:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite Odell Beckham Jr. having become extension-eligible in January 2017, he and the Giants aren’t far along in contract discussions.

The Giants have held preliminary talks with Beckham about what would have to be a monstrous re-up, but Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv reports no serious negotiations have begun. This comes on the heels of Beckham saying he’ll be at Giants camp, but some caveats exist regarding that pledge. The sides have not been close on terms in these early conversations.

Beckham’s camp, per Vacchiano, does not believe the Giants are willing to participate in serious talks at this time, despite the wideout’s status and contributions to the team. The Giants want to see their top weapon on the field to make sure he’s the same player after undergoing season-ending ankle surgery last year.

Beckham’s side would like the Giants to open serious discussions and be amenable to meeting the wideout halfway regarding his deal demands, Vacchiano reports. It’s been reported Beckham’s had a good rapport with New York’s new coaching staff, but at this juncture, it does not appear that’s translating into legitimate extension talks.

Pat Shurmur said Beckham had been cleared for minicamp action, but Beckham did not participate in team drills last week. He has, however, been present for most of the Giants’ offseason workouts, while fellow extension-anglers Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald have not shown up at their respective teams’ sessions.

Vacchiano writes that a Beckham holdout half-measure could involve the wideout refusing to participate in team drills at training camp, which would be approximately nine months since his surgery. Beckham did not look limited by his surgically repaired ankle during his individual drills, so the Giants would surely take that as a sign of discontent if he were to take this route. Shurmur said he expects Beckham to be 100 percent by the time the Giants begin camp.

Beckham’s on pace to become the greatest wide receiver in this franchise’s near-100-year history. His three full seasons all rank in the top five in Giants history, with only Victor Cruz‘s 2011 outpacing Beckham’s best work. But his demands have long been believed to be immense, which makes sense given his age and superstar status.

Extra Points: Beckham, Luck, Browns, Hawks

June 18th, 2018 at 9:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

On Day 1 of the true NFL offseason, here’s the latest, beginning with a difference from Odell Beckham Jr.‘s 2017 situation in which the Giants’ star pass-catcher currently finds himself.

Beckham hasn’t joined 2014 draft-class peers Khalil Mack, Aaron Donald and Taylor Lewan in holding out. He showed up for Giants minicamp and said he would be there for training camp. His standing in the organization may be on the rise, too. One new Giants coach told SI.com’s Albert Breer that Beckham “has been awesome” to the new personnel in the building. Breer said the perennial Pro Bowl wideout will have more people in the organization going to bat for him during these negotiations than was the case last year. The talks, though, aren’t progressing at this point.
This offseason’s gone much more smoothly for Andrew Luck than his initial post-shoulder surgery months did. Breer notes the Colts quarterback made it about 5 1/2 months in 2017 before enduring setbacks, ones that ultimately erased his ’17 season. Now, Luck is throwing again, having privately participated in a post-minicamp workout Friday, per Breer. While Luck still has some significant obstacles to navigate, the Colts’ new coaching staff isn’t concerned about his timeline. The team, though, will give Luck days off during training camp, Breer reports, and organize his reps like they’d be distributed during the regular season.
One reason the Browns opted for Denzel Ward over Bradley Chubb, who they had rated alongside one another on the non-quarterback sector of their draft board: a belief in third-year defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah. A Sashi Brown-era investment, Ogbah played well before breaking his foot last November. The new-look Browns are high on Ogbah having a strong season opposite Myles Garrett, Terry Pluto of cleveland.com notes.
Byron Maxwell‘s enjoyed an up-and-down career, but as of now, he’s the favorite to start opposite Shaquill Griffin for the Seahawks, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com notes. He will be playing the same spot he did in Super Bowl XLIX, right cornerback, after the team moved Griffin to Richard Sherman‘s old left corner position. Maxwell’s experience on the right side was one of the reasons the Seahawks relocated Griffin, Pete Carroll said.
Western Michigan cornerback Sam Beal is eligible for the supplemental draft, and ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter already posited he could be the highest-drafted player in this summer event since Josh Gordon went in the 2012 second round. Scouts have also raved about Beal, with Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com reporting evaluators he spoke to assigned a first-round grade to the defender. While this grade was contingent on his entering the regular 2019 draft, a team figures to give up one of its 2019 selections in order to draft Beal in the supplemental event. Offensive lineman Isaiah Battle was the last player chosen in the supplemental draft; the Rams used a fifth-round pick on him in 2015.

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