IT’S TIME!
Odell on way, now Giants must step up
Beckham to deliver on promise, now it’s Giants’ turn to deliver
Odell Beckham Jr., or someone representing him, doubled down Monday that he intends to attend the start of Giants training camp on Wednesday and not hold out for the long-term contract extension he desires.
This was another good faith gesture from Beckham toward the organization to prove he’s past the distractions, focused on putting the team first and on winning, and trusting of the Giants’ intentions to pay him eventually.
What’s not clear, though, is if Beckham will feel the same way on Thursday if the Giants don’t take a meaningful step his way in these next three days.
Don’t be naive: Beckham has been talking about this contract for more than a year. He and his agent, Zeke Sandhu, have been planning for this moment for a long time — even through a tumultuous spring that saw the Giants discussing an OBJ trade with the Rams. The Giants, when they decided not to deal him, knew it was coming, too.
NFL Network’s report on Monday that Beckham will report on time to the start of training camp Wednesday — as he had promised at his kids’ camp in Metuchen, N.J., in June — was a smart message. It removed any dark cloud of a threatened holdout from over the Giants’ heads instead of going nuclear publicly. It said, ‘I come in peace.’
“He wants to play football, and he wants to win,” a source told the network.
What Monday’s report also could be doing, though, is buying Sandhu and the Giants about three days to hammer out a deal before Beckham actually will be expected to practice on a football field. (Wednesday will just be physicals and conditioning for most of the veterans, including Beckham).
Because in March, NFL Network reported that Beckham would not step back on a football field without a new long-term contract, coming off season-ending left ankle surgery. Then there were conflicting messages from Beckham and the Giants about his medical clearance and practice availability at the start of June’s mandatory minicamp.
That mini-controversy was quelled quickly, but it remains unknown just where Beckham will draw his line in the sand, then, if he does practice on Thursday without a peep about the money he believes he is owed.
Because it’s one thing to play nice; it would be another to drop all demands and simply resign himself to the Giants controlling him for three more years without making a long-term commitment. And the Giants could do that, with this year’s $8.4 million salary and consecutive franchise tags in 2019 and 2020.
Remember: in June, when Beckham promised “I’ll be there” at training camp, a source quickly clarified that OBJ’s unresolved contract situation still could affect those intentions. On Monday, while the Giants had to be pleased to hear that Beckham intends to show up on Wednesday no matter what, it again felt like there could be a caveat.
This is not over. But just maybe, Beckham got it closer to the finish line on Monday with some goodwill. Or maybe not. Maybe we’re one day closer to an inevitable fight.
● The Giants aren’t finished adding experience and leadership to their retooled defense.
Veteran outside linebacker Connor Barwin, a longtime NFC East rival as an Eagle (2013-16), announced on Twitter Monday afternoon that he is signing with the Giants. NFL Network reported Barwin is getting a two-year deal worth up to $5 million. ESPN first reported the signing.
He rejoins Giants linebackers coach Bill McGovern, who coached Barwin and Philly’s outside linebackers from 2013-15 before joining Ben McAdoo’s staff and now is staying on with new coach Pat Shurmur.