Odell Beckham Jr. caught 390 passes for 5,476 yards and 44 touchdowns in his five years with the Giants. There is a very good chance he will never add one catch, one yard or one touchdown to his Giants’ production.
But you never know.
The Giants, in case you had not noticed, are wide receiver-needy and Beckham is an unrestricted free agent. General manager Joe Schoen on Tuesday did not hold the door open for a Beckham return but he did not slam the door, either.
“He’s been a good player,” Schoen said. “He’s a guy we would consider and talk to when he’s healthy.”
Ah yes, the health issue. Beckham tore his left anterior cruciate ligament in the Rams’ 23-20 victory in Super Bowl LVI, the second time Beckham tore the ACL in his left knee. It was anticipated he would return to the Rams but he is not yet ready to play and he might not be until very late this season, if at all this season.
“Not sure where he is physically,” Schoen said. “Any player that can upgrade the roster we would consider and have conversations with their representatives.”
Beckham turns 30 Saturday. In early October, his visit to the Giants’ locker room caused a stir, until it was revealed he was checking up on former Giants teammate Sterling Shepard, who had just torn his ACL.
“I had no idea he was in the building,” Schoen said, “until he was out of the building.”
If the Giants are going to extend the contracts of any of their veteran players, this is the week for it to happen. The team is on its bye and Schoen said he will not cause a distraction for players by engaging in contract talks once the Giants return and get back to work.
The most likely players for Schoen to be interested in securing with long-term deals are left tackle Andrew Thomas, defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence and safety Julian Love.
“Certain players want to play it out, see if you can up your value or take guarantees now, there’s a lot that goes into it,” Schoen said. “Some people may not have appetites for extensions, they may want to hit free agency and the open market.”
Lawrence is signed through 2023 after Schoen picked up his fifth-year option. Thomas has one year remaining on his rookie deal and the Giants can always use the franchise tag on him in 2024. Love’s rookie deal expires after this season.
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