At the NFL’s Annual Meeting, New York Giants co-owner and CEO John Mara indicated that the team still has some interest in signing veteran WR Odell Beckham Jr. this offseason. Big Blue loaded up on offensive firepower this offseason, but Mara seemingly hopes there is still room to fit OBJ into the equation.
Giants haven’t closed the door on Odell Beckham Jr.
When asked about a potential reunion with Beckham, the Giants’ 2014 first-round draft pick, Mara said “We certainly haven’t closed that door.”
“That’s going to be up to Joe and Dabs,” Mara continued. “I certainly would be in favor of that if they can make it work. That’s always the trick.”
The Giants would need a bit of magic to pull off that trick. New York is currently sitting with just $3.5 million in salary cap space, per Over The Cap. Squeezing Beckham in might prove to be too difficult.
Mara may be under the influence of outside sources, however, as his grandchildren have “made their intentions clear in terms of their wishes there.’’
Following the dramatic and shocking trade that sent OBJ to Cleveland in 2019, Mara explained that his “toughest phone call” was to his grandsons.
“The toughest phone call I had to make was to my grandsons to tell them we traded their favorite player,” Mara said in 2019. “They sobbed. Uncontrollably.”
It seems like the 2023 offseason is presenting the team president with an opportunity to right that wrong and make things up to his grandchildren.
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As electric as OBJ was during his time with Big Blue, he is not quite the same player as he was back then. Beckham is coming off back-to-back ACL injuries and did not play for the entirety of the 2022 season as he worked back to full health.
The Giants, in need of a no.1 receiver, will not fill that need by signing Beckham. However, for the right price, OBJ makes plenty of sense as a dependable second option for the Giants’ offense.
Odell recently took to social media to deny reports claiming his initial asking price was $20 million per year. Beckham claims he is not seeking $20 million, but he is looking to land more than the $4 million per year that he was previously offered.
As the New York Giants prepare for the 2023 NFL Draft, general manager Joe Schoen has made it clear that the team will continue to look at “not just Odell, players across all positions.” Schoen added that they “can get creative with the cap” if need be, however, time will tell whether or not Big Blue is willing to jump through hurdles to bring back Beckham.