Tag: Odell Beckam Jr.

Odell Beckham: Giants’ Saquon Barkley one of the best ever

Odell Beckham Jr. offered a major shout-out for his former New York Giants teammate, Saquon Barkley, following a monster Week 1 performance.

Although they only were only teammates during Saquon Barkley’s rookie year, Barkley and Odell Beckham Jr. were a talented duo for the New York Giants. The two seemed like a match made in heaven, destined to be a big part of the team’s plans for years to come.

Then, of course, Beckham was traded to the Cleveland Browns ending his tenure with the Giants in one of the more controversial moves in the eyes of fans. Even to this day, there is a divide amongst fans on whether or not the Giants made the right move in parting ways with Beckham.

Barkley, of course, shined in 2018 but then came the injuries…

Going into this season, Barkley put the NFL on notice, saying that he was ready to go crazy. And in Week 1, he did just that as fans watching saw the resurgence of Saquon leading to NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.

After his Week 1 performance, Barkley’s former teammate provided quite the shout-out.

It’s nice to see Beckham rooting hard for Barkley, just like fans around the NFL.

Beckham, who is currently a free agent as he returns from a torn ACL, will have eyes on Barkley again this weekend when the Giants take on the Carolina Panthers at MetLife Stadium.

The Giants hope Saquon dominates again, leading to another shout-out from OBJ.

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Odell Beckham Jr. named a contract Giants gave ‘too early’

Bleacher Report recently named Odell Beckham Jr. as a contract the New York Giants gave “too early.”

One of the more controversial players in New York Giants history was and continues to be Odell Beckham Jr.

Although Beckham is no longer a part of the organization, having been traded during the 2019 offseason, many fans still believe Beckham should have never been dealt.

Beckham was electrifying during his time with the Giants before the injury bug started to hinder his time on the field. From winning Offensive Rookie of the Year back in 2014 to the infamous one-handed catch, Beckham quickly rose to stardom in the league.

That route to stardom would eventually lead to a five-year, $90 million contract extension with Big Blue prior to the 2018-2019 season just to be traded less than a year later.

Over the weekend, Bleacher Report released a list of contract extensions given too early and, of course, Beckham’s extension with the Giants made the list.

While Beckham performed well, he wasn’t shy about his frustrations with losing. This seemed to strain his relationship with the team, and it seemingly led to his trade—something Pro Football Talk’s Peter King noted after Beckham was dealt to the Cleveland Browns in March 2019: “From the Giants’ point of view, the reality was his talent made him uncuttable, but the energy it took to corral his greatness was something they would have preferred to live without.”

The Giants got a reasonable return—2019 first- and third-round picks, along with safety Jabrill Peppers—but they also had to eat much of Beckham’s guarantees. According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, New York paid Beckham $21.5 million in cash with $5.5 million plus $16 million in dead money going on the 2019 cap. 

The Giants acted prematurely in extending a big-personality receiver coming off a significant injury. They could have, as Barnwell pointed out, let him play out his rookie deal, franchise-tagged him in 2019 and traded him while taking a far lower financial hit. The lesson? If a team isn’t 100 percent committed to a player—and the positives, negatives and injury risks involved—re-signing them early is risky.  

Despite rumors leading up to the trade, former Giants general manager Dave Gettleman continued to preach, “we didn’t sign him just to trade him.” So either Gettleman was shopping the star wide receiver despite saying otherwise or he received an offer he could not refuse.

Regardless, Beckham’s extension with the Giants lasted less than a year and riddled the Giants with dead salary cap for years to come.

Even if at the time, Gettleman had plans for Beckham to be with the Giants long-term. The decision to extend Beckham looks terrible in hindsight and it is one of quite a few negative moves that will be connected to Gettleman when his tenure with the Giants is looked back upon.

Whether or not the Giants won the trade that shipped Beckham off to Cleveland is another argument but no matter how you slice it, extending Beckham was a move made too early and it looks even worse when you consider how quickly he was traded away following the extension.

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Odell Beckham Jr. named Giants’ best value pick since 2006

Pro Football Focus has named WR Odell Beckham Jr. the New York Giants’ best value pick since 2006.

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The New York Giants haven’t drafted particularly well the past decade or so. Sure, they’ve gotten a stud hare and there but overall, they just haven’t had a consistent presence on Pro Bowl rosters and they’ve been a losing team in eight of the past nine years.

In Pro Football Focus‘ list of each team’s best value draft pick since 2006, it is no wonder for the Giants, they chose a player who burst onto the scene only to flame out very quickly in New York.

NEW YORK GIANTS: WR ODELL BECKHAM JR., LSU (12TH OVERALL IN 2014)

There aren’t many teams that have a worse track record after the first round in the PFF era than the Giants,” writes PFF’s Michael Renner. “Linval Joseph, Weston Richburg and Landon Collins are really the only ones to write home about, and they were all still second-rounders. With that said, the receiver with the hottest start to his NFL career gets the nod. Before injuries struck, Beckham was the gold standard at the position with 4,122 yards in his first three seasons.

The Giants are hopeful their first round haul of Oregon edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux and Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal will put them back on the map as team that gets it right in the draft.

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Giants great Eli Manning: Tiki Barber ‘saved me’ early in my career

New York Giants legend Eli Manning picked his personal all-time lineup and in the process, admitted that Tiki Barber saved him early on.

New York Giants greats Eli Manning and Tiki Barber have a complicated history. Their relationship has had many peaks and valleys, and fans are intimately familiar with how things played out in 2006.

Midway through the season, Barber announced his intent to retire. That didn’t sit well with many, including Manning himself. And following Barber’s retirement, things only got worse when he made critical comments about Manning and then-head coach Tom Coughlin.

Over the years, Barber has apologized and thrown his support behind Manning in the Hall of Fame debate. And now, Manning is acknowledging that Barber saved his career early on.

“Tiki, he saved me early on in my career,” Manning told Cam Newton during a recent episode of Funky Friday. “And probably made me look better than I was at certain times and in certain games. He was a heck of a running back.”

When asked to pick his all-time Giants lineup — an ideal offense to complete a game-winning 80-yard drive — Manning also named Barber. His 11-personnel team broke down as follows:

  • WR1: Plaxico Burress
  • WR2: Odell Beckham Jr.
  • Slot: Victor Cruz
  • TE: Kevin Boss
  • RB: Tiki Barber

“That’s heavy,” Newton said of Manning’s choices at receiver. “That’s venomous.”

Newton wasn’t nearly as impressed with Manning’s choice at tight end, letting about an immediate “what?!”

“(Jeremy) Shockey was there for a little bit, but he was kind of all over the place,” Manning said. “So, Kevin for the two-minute drive.”

Drilling things down even further, Newton asked Manning who his most cerebral teammate was — which guy he essentially shared a brain with. Manning answer wasn’t surprising.

“Victor Cruz. We put a lot on his plate,” Manning explained. “He’s the one who just kind of took… When we gave a guy maybe 2-3 options he took it and would say, ‘hey, I can handle all six of them.'”

Great stuff from Eli as usual.

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Odell Beckham Jr. shuts down any notion of potential Giants return

Odell Beckham has shut down any notion of a possible New York Giants return, saying he doesn’t want to be a problem or locker room cancer.

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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is poised to become an unrestricted free agent on March 16. And although he’s recovering from a torn ACL, you can bet teams will rush to shower him with some money.

Will the New York Giants be among them? Given their history with Beckham and their current salary cap issues, it’s pretty obvious they won’t be.

But what if they were? In that hypothetical scenario, how would things play out?

Well, Beckham answered that question on Monday and Giants fans aren’t going to like what he had to say. In a nutshell, he eliminated the possibility of any reunion with the Giants — now or in the future.

“Nah, bro. I don’t wanna be a problem and locker room cancer,” Beckham tweeted, somewhat tongue-in-cheek.

During Beckham’s time in New York, he became an oft-hit lightning rod. His on-field fights with Josh Norman, his sideline antics and his bizarre interviews with ESPN painted him as an immature problem child. He fell out of favor with general manager Dave Gettleman and head coach Pat Shurmur, and was eventually shipped off to the Cleveland Browns.

In Cleveland, a similar scenario played itself out and Beckham eventually forced his release. He ultimately landed with the Rams and it was nearly a Cinderella story. OBJ helped carry Los Angeles all the way to the Super Bowl and although he will get his ring, it came at the cost of tearing his ACL for the second time.

During that ride to a title, Beckham reflected on his time in New York. And as it turns out, he’s still very torn — saying he was “booted” from the team while also claiming they were the “best years” of his life.

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Odell Beckham Jr. among ex-Giants to earn a Super Bowl LVI ring

Odell Beckham Jr. is among a handful of ex-New York Giants to earn a Super Bowl LVI ring as members of the Los Angeles Rams.

The Los Angeles Rams are Super Bowl LVI champions after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20, at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.

The game saw Matthew Stafford & Co. overcome a multitude of injuries to complete a comeback victory, culminating with Cooper Kupp hauling in the game-winning touchdown over ex-New York Giants cornerback Eli Apple.

Speaking of ex-Giants, several will wake up on Monday morning as champions. Here’s a look at which former blue bleeders have a ring coming their way.

Ex-Giant Eli Apple surrenders Super Bowl LVI-losing touchdown

In the big moment, ex-New York Giants bust Eli Apple came up small, committing a penalty and then surrendering the Super Bowl-losing TD.

A Super Bowl LVI matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals featured a number of former members of the New York Giants.

Leading up to the big game, the two former Giants making headlines were the Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and Bengals cornerback Eli Apple.

While their time with the Giants and their exit from East Rutherford was nothing short of controversial and left a sour taste in the mouth of many Giants fans, the lines were drawn entering Sunday. Even former Giant Prince Amukamara had someone in mind when he was deciding who to root for.

Prior to Sunday’s tilt, Apple had attacked two of his former teams, including the Giants, using the word “hate” to describe his feelings for the team that drafted him back in 2016.

Apple also recently said he was ready to “lock down” Odell Beckham Jr. leading up to the Super Bowl. And while both OBJ and Apple played a major role in this year’s finale, it was Beckham’s Rams who walked away victorious.

On the final scoring drive of the game, Apple surrendered the game-winning touchdown to Cooper Kupp. That came on the heels of committing a defensive penalty to extent Los Angeles’ drive.

In the biggest moment of the game, Apple was unable to come up with a stop during clutch time for his team.

Beckham, on the other hand, left the game in the first half and did not return with an apparent knee injury. He scored the first touchdown of the game and was seen in tears after his team secured the Super Bowl championship.

While there are a lot of mixed feeling regarding Beckham in the eyes of Giants fans, there is little debate surrounding Apple. He is universally disliked — by Giants fans, NFL fans, NFL players and basically everyone on social media not named Annie Apple.

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Ex-Giants cheering for Odell Beckham Jr. in Super Bowl

Several former members of the New York Giants admit they’re cheering on the Los Angeles Rams and Odell Beckham Jr. in Super Bowl LVI.

When the Las Angeles Rams take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, there will be a distinct New York Giants feel.

On Cincy’s side, cornerback Eli Apple and defensive lineman B.J. Hill have been showing out. On their shoulders, the Bengals have reached their first-ever Super Bowl.

Across the field will be the Rams and superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., whose career revitalization has been on full display. And his dream of winning a championship ring is just 60 minutes away.

For many current and former members of the Giants, that creates a rooting conundrum. On one hand, they’d very much like to see Hill win a title. On the other hand, many feel OBJ is the most deserving of all.

“Excited for him, man,” cornerback Prince Amukamara told the New York Post. “The thing with Odell is that he knew he still had a lot of ball left in him. I knew, most people knew. But, if we’re being real, his going from team to team and then the performance not being there, you kind of ask ‘Dang, is this it for Odell?’ And I’m sure Odell doesn’t want to just be known for ‘the catch,’ even though that’s not a bad thing to be known for. But to have ‘Super Bowl champion’ next to your name, it’s awesome. I’m sure excited for him.”

And Amukamara isn’t the only former Giant cheering on OBJ.

“I think he’s one of the guys that’s misunderstood in this league,” offensive lineman Justin Pugh said. “Definitely cheering for him this Sunday.”

Even defensive lineman Mathias Kiwanuka, who played for just one season alongside Beckham, is pleased to see how things are playing out.

“The lesson is that not everybody who appears to be divisive or not a team player is actually that way,” Kiwanuka said. “When I played with him he was young and you could say some of the things he did were immature but he’s grown a lot. I applaud him for being headstrong and figuring out a way to get himself and his family in the best situation possible.”

Winning the Super Bowl would be redemption for Beckham, who insists he’s not basking in the glory of proving so many people wrong. However he got to L.A. is irrelevant — he’s there now and one step away from fulfilling a life-long dream.

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Odell Beckham Jr. on Giants exit: ‘I got booted’

Los Angeles Rams WR Odell Beckham Jr. says he didn’t leave the New York Giants, but was “booted” from East Rutherford.

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. took part in a 45-minute Super Bowl LVI interview on Monday night and nearly escaped without saying anything controversial.

“Nearly escaped” would be the key words there.

Just as the marathon interview was nearing its end, a Zoom moderator called on NFL UK reporter Osi Umenyiora. Beckham’s reaction was a foreshadowing of what was to come.

“Uh oh,” Beckham said.

Umenyiora promptly reminded Beckham of an hour-long heart-to-heart they once had in which Osi pressed OBJ not to leave New York. But Beckham rejected that phrasing and told Umenyiora that’s now how his departure from the New York Giants played out.

“First, I didn’t leave, I got booted,” Beckham said. “Second, it is a great feeling to be here at this moment.”

Although Beckham maintains he was essentially kicked out of East Rutherford, he also admits he conducted himself in a way that didn’t accurately represent who he was.

“When I was younger, I definitely did things that could have helped [me] not be seen for who I truly am,” Beckham said, via the New York Post. “But I also feel like there was a lot more just trying to create a story because it’s easier to sell drama than it is to write up good things about somebody.”

The relationship between Beckham and the Giants began deteriorating early on. He was unable to keep his composure on the field and that eventually began spilling over onto the sideline, where his antics were a weekly attraction. Then came the Miami boat trip, the bizarre ESPN interview with Lil Wayne and the attacks on quarterback Eli Manning.

Despite it all, Beckham insists he’s now a more mature version of himself. And the satisfaction he’s currently experiencing stems from the hard work it takes to succeed, and not necessarily in the fact that he’s proven so many people — including the Giants — wrong.

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Super Bowl LVI may be decided by a trio of ex-Giants

A Super Bowl LVI matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals may be decided by a trio of ex-New York Giants.

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The contestants for Super Bowl LVI are set — the Los Angeles Rams will face the surprising Cincinnati Bengals two weeks from now at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

For fans of the New York Giants, there will be a trio of familiar faces (and then a few other secondary names) in the game, including two of their former first-round picks.

The Bengals’ defense contains two former Giants’ draft picks — cornerback Eli Apple and lineman B.J. Hill — who came up big against the Chiefs in Kansas City in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday.

Hill intercepted a Patrick Mahomes pass deep in Kansas City territory in the third quarter that led to the games-tying score, and Apple made a touchdown-saving tackle stopping Tyreek Hill at the goal line to end the first half. The Bengals went on to win, 27-24, in overtime.

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, former Giants superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is having a resurgence after a not-so-productive stop in Cleveland.

Beckham caught nine of his 11 targets for 113 yards in the Rams’ 20-17 over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in the NFC Championship Game.

Beckham was the Giants’ first-round pick in 2014 (No. 12 overall) out of LSU. After a record-setting five seasons in New York, Beckham was traded to the Browns in a blockbuster move after wearing out his welcome with some dubious behavior.

OBJ was released by Cleveland in November of this season and was immediately scooped up by the Rams, where he has regained his status as an elite offensive force.

Apple was the 10th overall selection out of Ohio State in 2016 — a horrible reach by the general manager Jerry Reese. After a contentious two and a quarter seasons with he Giants, they cut bait on Apple by trading him to new Orleans for a pair of draft picks. Apple moved onto Carolina two years later before landing in Cincinnati this season.

Hill was a third-round pick of the Giants in 2018 out of North Carolina State. After a solid rookie season in which he set a franchise rookie record for sacks (5.5), Hill saw his playing time drop off and he was traded to the Bengals before the start of this season in exchange for center Billy Price.

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