Odell looking healthy, showing off hands at camp
Odell Beckham Jr. made an impressive catch Friday downfield over the top of Landon Collins on a deep ball thrown by Eli Manning. Beckham turned on the jets and snagged the ball at the last second, raising several eyebrows of those surrounding the perimeter of the Giants’ indoor turf field.
Beckham also took a big, inadvertent hit from LB Kareem Martin as two routes crossed, and though Beckham rose a bit gingerly, he fielded some punts afterwards and participated in a few more live 11-on-11 reps later in the session.
Everyone knows by now that Beckham is healthy, but seeing him make big plays still is refreshing validation.
Collins also said Beckham’s presence in camp, rather than holding out for the new contract he wants, is appreciated by his teammates.
“It was exciting (to see Beckham show up), just knowing that he loves the game and he shows that,” Collins said. “He is not saying I’m going to sit out and not play football because I want a new contract. He’s out here with his guys and he loves what he does.”
Head coach Pat Shurmur added of Beckham: “You see he’s very energetic on the practice field … He’s actually fun to be around on the practice field.”
Beckham does need to be cautious, though. He is risking a lot by practicing in live drills without his new deal, so far on each practice day there has been a nervous moment, including a run block on Thursday that put him in dangerous traffic. But so far, all remains well. DAY TWO PRACTICE NOTES
After practicing outside on Thursday in front of fans, the Giants’ Friday schedule was much more hectic. Lightning and thunderstorms cancelled the fans’ attendance and moved practice inside to start. When the sun came out, Shurmur moved practice outside into the heat, but 20 minutes early he was forced to call practice altogether when lightning showed up not far in the distance again … Friday’s practice was a bit sloppy. Evan Engram, Wayne Gallman, Roger Lewis and Travis Rudolph all dropped passes, and Manning threw a bad interception past a wide-open Beckham into Collins’ stomach. It was the second missed throw by Manning for an open Beckham on the day. Defensive end Romeo Okwara received praise a few times for good recognition and technique. Avery Moss had a sack. Rookie DB Grant Haley had a nice interception of Manning and another strong pass defended down the left sideline. And wideout Amba EttaTawo, who had a strong Thursday, made another nice catch over the middle on a strike from backup QB Davis Webb. DB Orion Stewart also had a late INT of fourth-string QB Alex Tanney ... Tight end Garrett Dickerson (undisclosed) sat out Friday’s practice after participating Thursday, doing work on the side. Starting DT Damon Harrison (undisclosed) continued to sit out practice along with injured reserves DT RJ McIntosh (lower-body) and RB Paul Perkins (pec).