Odell a Giant for life? I wouldn’t count on it
Once a Giant Always a Giant is much different than being a Giant For Life. At some point it’s inevitable Odell Beckham Jr. will find out. Carl Banks, Joe Morris, Mark Bavaro, Jim Burt, Justin Tuck, Leonard Marshall, Osi Umenyiora, Amani Toomer, Victor Cruz, Brandon Jacobs, David Tyree, Pepper Johnson, Jim Burt and William Roberts, even Jeremy Shockey for a brief period, will always be considered great Giants. They all started their career with Big Blue but finished elsewhere.
Even Phil Simms, the ultimate Giant, flirted with signing with the Browns and Cardinals after he was released in June of 1994.
Lawrence Taylor, Harry Carson and George Martin were Giants For Life. Eli Manning is going into his 14th season and it would be a shame to ever see him in a different uniform. He has three years remaining on his contract, but if his skills deteriorate this year or next, Ben McAdoo might convince John Mara it’s time to switch to Davis Webb.
Could Eli play somewhere else? His brother Peyton played his last four years in Denver. If Eli wants to continue playing and the Giants don’t want him anymore, some team will be willing to bring in a two-time Super Bowl MVP in 2019, even as he approaches 40, to be a short-term starter in a league that doesn’t have enough quality quarterbacks.
Joe Montana, Brett Favre, Emmitt Smith, Jerry Rice, Joe Namath, Randy Moss, Ronnie Lott, Deion Sanders all played for more than one team. If it can happen to them, it can happen to OBJ. What would prompt his departure? An insurmountable difference over money. Maybe he doesn’t want to play with anybody but Eli. Maybe he demands a trade to the Vikings because he wants to dye his hair purple. Perhaps he insists on a trade to Washington so he can fight Josh Norman every day. Or he becomes a free agent and signs with the Dolphins so he doesn’t have to take a plane to the boat. Or late in his career his skills erode and the Giants release him and he finishes up in Buffalo. Nothing is forever in the NFL. Ideally, the Giants and Beckham will have a long and productive marriage. He certainly will increase his value if he plays great this season, doesn’t save his worst for a playoff game and manages to stay away from Justin Bieber and Johnny Manziel and yachts in Miami during the postseason.
Giants Nation can take a deep breath because without picking up the phone once to negotiate, the Giants can control Beckham’s rights for the next five seasons. By then, he will be 29 years old — he might actually have the grey hairs he referred to Tuesday — and been in the league eight years.
Beckham is under control for $1.8 million this season and the fifth-year option at $8.4
million for 2018 the Giants picked up in May. After that, they can use the franchise tag on him at the wide receiver number for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. If they want to franchise him a third time in 2021, which has never been done, they can do it at the quarterback number.
The three franchise tags would cost about $55 million to go along with the $10.2 million Beckham will make in the next two years. That brings his total to $55.2 million over the next five years with cap numbers well over $15 million in each of the last three years. The tags create ill will. It’s much more likely Beckham and the Giants agree to a long-term extension either this summer or next offseason.
Mara said he wants Beckham to end his career with the Giants. Beckham said this week he was all-in on that idea. “I think we are on the same page there,” he said. “Obviously this is one of the best organizations in the league and I would love to be here for the rest of my life.”
Taylor’s last season was 1993, which was the first year of free agency in the NFL. He never had a chance to play for another team. Neither did Carson. It’s more probable than not that Manning will only play for the Giants and be the first of the Mannings to play for only one team. But the agendas of the Giants and Manning could be different in two years.
One respected Giants Ring of Honor member told me Mara and Steve Tisch should definitely give Beckham a new contract right now. And that Beckham should push hard for it. “What happens if he breaks his ankle this season?” he said.
That’s the risk of playing football. Beckham’s $8.4 million in 2018 is guaranteed for injury only. That becomes relevant only if the Giants want to cut him next year and he can’t pass the physical. Then they have to pay him. That is a worst case scenario, but football is a violent, brutal game.
That’s why it’s in Beckham’s best financial interest to get a new contract now. My estimate is a six-year, $115 million deal including $50 million guaranteed. That would put a lot of money in Beckham’s pocket and remove the risk of injury costing him millions.
There have only been a handful of firstround picks since the new CBA in 2011 who have received new contracts prior to their fourth season.
The Rams did it last year with receiver Tavon Austin, who signed a four-year, $42 million contract with $28.5 million guaranteed. Obviously, this is great money, but wouldn’t even get Beckham’s agent to return a phone call. Austin was the eighth overall pick in the 2013 draft.
Beckham wants to stay. The Giants want him to stay. That’s the good news.
Once A Giant Always a Giant for Beckham? He fits right in. A Giant For Life? Not likely.