Odell is in the building
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants have opened their first organized team activities under new coach Pat Shurmur with star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in the building.
Speaking on a conference call Monday, Shurmur said he hadn’t yet talked to Beckham, whose name has been prominent in trade speculation in recent months. The coach didn’t know how many of the voluntary activities Beckham planned to attend or the condition of his left ankle. The ankle was broken in the fifth game of a 3-13 season that led to the firing of coach Ben McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese .
Shurmur said he previously spoke with Beckham about a video that surfaced online showing the 25-year-old who wants to be the NFL’s highest paid player on a bed holding what appeared to be a handrolled cigarette. A woman next to him had unidentified white powder on a nearby table.
Shurmur didn’t reveal what he said to Beckham. He also is not worried whether the player will be affected by the recent hype.
“I really believe that Odell is a professional and he wants to be great,” said Shurmur, who expects to know more about Beckham’s ankle by the end of the week. “He understands the importance of the off-season and he’s a competitive guy and, again, we had already started communicating before all that information kind of got out there and was talked about a great deal. He’s a professional and I’m glad he’s here today.”