OBJ contract dispute and Eli’s future looming large

INDIANAPOLIS — The conversation is mostly positive surrounding the Giants at this juncture of the offseason, in many ways justifiably so. Optimism is inherent to a front office and coaching change, to the excitement that comes with holding a No. 2 draft pick, to the quarterback-Saquon Barkley fever overtaking a franchise eager to rise again.

But there are two major issues bubbling just beneath the surface that now threaten the Giants’ sunny skies ahead. The only question is which could be more damaging in the coming months:

1. The increasingly apparent disconnect in the Odell Beckham Jr. contract negotiations, which could lead to a lengthy holdout, a major months-long distraction and — gasp — perhaps even a trade. Or 2. The Giants’ insistence that, as coach Pat Shurmur reiterated Wednesday, Eli Manning has “years” left “as a starting quarterback,” a sentiment that could jeopardize their future at the sport’s most important position.

One or both of these issues could do major damage to the Giants’ attempt to win again in 2018, and to build sustained success for the future in this draft and beyond. GM Dave Gettleman’s management of these matters means everything, and on Wednesday, he and Shurmur only dug in further on the Manning bandwagon.

Meanwhile, Beckham’s reported $20 million-plus annual contract ask finally opened the public’s eyes to just how imminent drastic measures on both Beckham’s and the Giants’ ends could be. First, the Beckham conundrum. He tweeted last weekend that he intends to play in “0” preseason games, despite not having spoken with Shurmur or Gettleman at all about plans for the summer. And if it wasn’t intended as a threat, it most certainly will become one if Beckham’s price tag doesn’t come down and Gettleman continues to laugh at the thought of wide receivers making $20 million annually, as he did on Wednesday.

The Giants no doubt know that negotiating Beckham’s contract extension is one of their most important items on the docket, but when Gettleman says of prioritizing Beckham, “contracts get done when they’re supposed to get done,” the GM seems to be minimizing or misunderstanding the distraction that a Beckham holdout would create this offseason for a first-year head coach trying to start the team off on the “clean slate” they keep talking about.

The longer these negotiations drag on, the more public they will likely become, and if Beckham isn’t with the team for OTAs and then training camp come July, it will be the biggest story every day until Gettleman gets something done.

And don’t discount this: it is no longer Jerry Reese, the man who drafted Beckham, waiting to sign off on whatever terms assistant GM Kevin Abrams brings to his desk from Beckham’s camp. It is Gettleman, a no-nonsense manager who will not yield on principle and had no problem severing ties with Carolina players he felt had run their course.

Could Gettleman, if Beckham refuses to play on the fifth and final year of his rookie contract, actually trade OBJ? The thought might sound crazy, but considering what a potential return could mean for such a young and talented player, a Giants team with so many needs focused on retooling for the future would have to consider it.

John Mara and the Giants certainly prefer this resolves in an extension to keep Beckham with the Giants, and Beckham no doubt has leverage in how pitiful an already-sputtering Giant offense became in 2017 once Beckham broke his left ankle in Week 5. But the Giants also can’t just pay the world for a player with such a long history of immaturity and unpredictability. Would that history also impact Beckham’s trade value? That’s something to explore.

Next, there’s the Giants’ constant endorsements of Manning.

Gettleman and Shurmur keep committing to Manning, 37, for multiple years (he has two years left on his current contract), but do they really believe Manning can play at a high level for at least two more seasons? Or are they just saying the right things to a fan base that revolted against the organization in December when Manning was sat down?

Because despite injuries to receivers last season and some bad drops, Manning’s 2017 tape doesn’t lie: he often made poor decisions, didn’t move well enough when the protection wasn’t perfect, didn’t take care of the ball, and missed several throws.

Shurmur raved Wednesday about both Manning and second-year backup Davis Webb, but the fact is, even if the Giants do still believe in Manning as a starter for the foreseeable future, they can’t let the 37-year-old QB’s presence or even Webb’s growth prevent them from drafting a potential future franchise quarterback if he’s there at their No. 2 overall pick in late April.

Shurmur’s and Gettleman’s job these next two months, of course, is to identify whether there is a quarterback promising enough to select there. If they don’t feel that QB exists, they shouldn’t and won’t force it, but Shurmur did admit Wednesday “I have an opinion of who I like” among the QBs, so he’ll be looking for reinforcement in interviews and scouting and evaluation here in Indianapolis and at coming Pro days and player visits to East Rutherford.

And granted, Penn State RB Saquon Barkley is a tantalizing prospect, but think of how badly the Giants will have erred if they draft Barkley due to their long-term trust in Manning, only to find Eli no longer has it and be stuck either in QB purgatory or at least with horribly thin depth at the most important position. hey can’t afford to get the quarterback position wrong, not just with their evaluation of QB draft prospects but with their evaluation of Manning. They can’t afford to not resolve this Beckham situation early, and let it become a distraction and a detriment to such a pivotal season.

Neither seems close to resolution at the moment, though, so while there’s reason to hope for the 2018 Giants, there are also two big reasons why everyone should hold their breath.

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