Well the last couple of seasons sure have been eventful for Odell Beckham Jr., haven’t they?
The New York Giants star found himself in the middle of swirling trade rumors last offseason, with the New England Patriots reportedly pursuing the wideout aggressively. The Giants ultimately did not pull the trigger on a blockbuster deal, and instead signed Beckham Jr. to a five-year contract that could pay him up to $95 million. But after a 5-11 season, we’re right back where we were a year ago, with OBJ being floated out as potential trade. And to little surprise, the Pats once again find themselves in the conversation.
At 26 years old, Beckham Jr. is among the most talented wide receivers in the game. Paired with Giants rookie running back Saquon Barkley, you would be hard pressed to find many better one-two punches at the skill positions across the league. But Fox Sports’ Doug Gottlieb thinks the Giants would be better off cutting bait with the wide receiver, citing an onside kick from December where Beckham Jr. appeared to balk at jumping for the loose ball.
Gottlieb says that encompasses the wide receiver’s personality as a whole.
“Odell Beckham Jr. is about Odell Beckham Jr. and that’s it,” Gottlieb said during “First Things First” on Tuesday. “He’s a freak talent. He’s special. But (the Giants) got better the less they went to him last year. They just did. And they started to win football games. …
“He is about himself, not winning. And if the Giants want to win, they should get rid of Odell Beckham Jr.”
The Giants were 2-6 when Beckham Jr. was targeted 10 or more times in 2018. The wideout hauled in 77 passes for 1,052 yards with six touchdowns in 12 games last season. It’s pretty safe to say, however, that Beckham Jr. is far from the end-all be-all to the Giants winning and losing games. The G-Men have a multitude of areas to improve on, starting with finding a successor to aging quarterback Eli Manning, improving their offensive line and the team’s paltry defense, which ranked 24th in yards against last season.
However, Giants brass might have a tough time selling that subtracting Beckham Jr. actually is an addition to the team’s prospects in the near future.
