New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen has been busy this offseason providing his quarterback Daniel Jones with wide receivers to maximize his potential and show why he received a four-year $160 million contract.
First, Schoen re-signed players that have already established a rapport with Jones in Sterling Shepard, Isaiah Hodgins, and Darius Slayton. Then he signed free agent receivers Parris Campbell, Jamison Crowder, and Jeff Smith to one-year contracts.
However, there is one wideout that was rumored to be on Schoen’s radar that remains unsigned, and that’s Odell Beckham Jr.
After OBJ and the Giants had a meeting late last season, many anticipated the two sides to come to an agreement early in free agency. But with the moves the team has made this offseason, it’s becoming apparent he’s not in their plans.
Last week, team president and co-owner John Mara said the team hadn’t closed the door on Beckham and that he would be in favor of a reunion if Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll can make it happen.
Despite Mara’s wishes, New York and OBJ no longer seem like an ideal fit for one another. Here’s the Giants should no longer be in the market for their 2014 first-round draft pick.
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Darren Waller is the new No. 1 target in town
None of the players in the wide receiver room are No. 1 receiving options. Fortunately for the team and their fans, Schoen’s biggest splash this offseason was trading a third-round pick for tight end Darren Waller.
Waller is one of the most versatile and dynamic tight ends in the league. He’s had two seasons where he had over 1,000 receiving yards and was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2020. He will undoubtedly be the focal point of New York’s passing offense, and if he can manage to stay healthy, he has a good chance of becoming the first Giants pass-catcher since OBJ in 2018 to have over 1,000 receiving yards.
Now that Jones has a true go-to guy, there’s less of a need to sign Beckham.
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The uncertainty of Odell Beckham Jr.’s health
The last time Beckham played in a game was February 13th, 2022, in Super Bowl LVI, when the Rams defeated the Bengals 23-20. He was off to a good start catching two passes for 52 yards and a touchdown. But then, tore the ACL in his left knee in the second quarter and hasn’t played since.
It was the same ACL that he tore in 2020 when he was a member of the Cleveland Browns, which has some questioning if he can get back to the player he was when he helped the Rams win a Super Bowl. He looked good in his open workout, which the Giants attended, but workouts are not the same as playing in a live game.
With the uncertainty of what Beckham will look like when he makes his return to the field, it’s probably best for the team to look in a different direction.
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Giants may take a receiver in the first round of the NFL Draft
Although the team needs to address other areas, such as cornerback and center, there are some mock drafts that have New York taking a receiving with the 25th overall pick.
This is a deep and talented receiver class, and there will be at least one standout pass-catcher on the board when New York is on the clock. Some of the wideouts that have been linked to the Giants are USC’s Jordan Addison, TCU’s Quentin Johnston, Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Boston College’s Zay Flowers.
The team definitely needs to add another wideout because, as we mentioned, Campbell and Crowder were only signed to one-year deals. So it would behoove the team to get a young and explosive playmaker on the outside that can help them for many years to come, as opposed to OBJ, who will turn 31 in November.
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Lack of cap space
According to Spotrac, New York has a little over $3 million in cap space. Schoen will do some maneuvering to create more space, but the team is strapped for cash, and keep in mind they’ll have to sign the players they draft in a few weeks.
OBJ refuted the notion that he wants $20 million a year, but the Giants are still not in a position to give him a lucrative contract, especially at this stage in his career.
It’s only a matter of time before a team signs Beckham because when healthy, he’s a dynamic playmaker. But that team should not be the New York Giants.
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