Speculation of an Odell Beckham Jr. reunion with the New York Giants is only going to grow stronger after Joe Schoen’s comments on Tuesday.
The Giants’ general manager couldn’t have started off Year 1 with his new team any better, going 6-2 through the first eight games heading into the bye week. But if he’s able to right one of the egregious wrongs committed by David Gettleman’s regime, they might start talking about building a statue for the 43-year-old.
Beckham remains a free agent as he rehabs from ACL surgery that he underwent in February and the Giants are in need of playmaking talent at the position after Kenny Golladay’s career in East Rutherford flopped, Kadarius Toney was sent to the Kansas City Chiefs last week, and Sterling Shepard suffered a torn ACL that ended his season.
He visited former teammates at the organization’s facilities last month, which initially sparked the rumor mill into motion — though it was to visit Shepard to shed some light on the same injury that put him on the shelf during Super Bowl LVI with the Los Angeles Rams.
“I had no idea he was in the building until he was out of the building,” Schoen admitted on Tuesday evening when assessing the NFL trade deadline.
Schoen understandably stood pat at the deadline, which passed on Tuesday, when it came to addressing the lack of explosive targets for quarterback Daniel Jones to work with. The Giants are well ahead of schedule on their rebuild, but giving up invaluable draft capital that would help supplement a long-term contender would be a foolhardy, short-sighted move.
Beckham, however, would just cost money. And he certainly appears to be on Schoen’s radar.
“Obviously, he’s been a good player. He’s a guy we would consider and talk to when he’s healthy.” Schoen said. “I think he did the ACL in February, so, not sure really where he is physically.
“Yeah, any player to upgrade the roster, we’re going to consider and have conversations with their representatives.”
In early October, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Beckham could be ready to play by mid-November. Considering the trade deadline has now come and gone, teams that are in the hunt for a playoff spot will naturally see him as a can’t-miss option on the open market for the stretch run.
“He’s a good player from when I evaluated him, if he’s healthy,” Schoen said. “If a player is healthy and they would help us win football games, we would pursue them if they fit what we’re looking for.”
Beckham was drafted by the Giants in 2014 and quickly became one of the top offensive weapons in the NFL. He accrued 4,122 yards over his first three seasons with 35 touchdowns before injuries and character concerns drove a wedge between the player and the organization.
While he did and said all the right things, earning him a five-year, $90 million contract, Gettleman shipped him off to the Cleveland Browns ahead of the 2019 season. He was dealt to the Rams during the 2021 campaign where he helped win the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl in Los Angeles.
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