The New York Giants signed running back Shane Vereen during free agency in March, and Odell Beckham Jr., the team’s budding star, helped move the process forward—and quickly.
According to MMQB’s Peter King, Beckham offered his simple recruiting pitch to Vereen, who apparently didn’t need much convincing and signed within hours of free agency opening. Vereen said of Beckham:
“He said it was a young team with a lot of talent. He loves it here, and he was excited for this upcoming season. That was really all I needed to hear. I love when guys are excited to be somewhere. That makes me want to be there and excited for the growth.”
New York finished 6-10 last season, but it’s hard to disagree with Beckham—despite the, well duh, of course he’s going to say that about his team, nature of the comments.
After missing four games due to a hamstring issue, Beckham flat-out dominated his competition, racking up 91 receptions, 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns. The rookie accomplished those stellar numbers without Victor Cruz, who sustained a season-ending injury in Beckham’s second outing of the season.
Vereen joins a talented roster, considering the Giants boast Beckham, a healthy Cruz and two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Eli Manning under center.
While Vereen will mostly be used as a pass-catching back, he’s a decent runner, too. The Cal product tallied 52 receptions and a 4.1-per-carry average with the Patriots last season.
Per Spotrac salary numbers, Vereen signed a three-year, $12.35 million deal.
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