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By Matt Lombardo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

EAST RUTHERFORD -- One of the biggest surprises of the summer across the NFL was wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. reporting to Giants' training camp on time, without the security of a long-term contract as he enters the final year of his rookie deal.

What made Beckham's actions this offseason so surprising, is the fact that he is coming off suffering a shattered right-ankle in Week 5 which ended his 2017 season, and even before reporting to camp on time, he was a participant in voluntary OTA workouts and mandatory minicamp practices earlier this spring.

"It's calculated," Beckham said, when asked by NJ Advance Media Saturday about the risk of taking part in full-padded training camp practices as he enters the final season of his rookie contract. "You're out there, you have to be in control of your body when we're practicing. These are my teammates, so we're all working together. There's no extra pushing and shoving, or doing too much. It's all calculated.

"I remember not being able to walk at all. Being able to be back on the field doing what I love is truly an amazing thing."

Here's a look at what Beckham had to say during a wide-ranging press conference addressing his impending contract talks with the Giants, and a tumultuous offseason that included owner John Mara hint that he could be traded, leading up to building a relationship with new head coach Pat Shurmur that is so strong that he decided to take the 'calculated' risk of showing up to training camp:

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WHY HE DECIDED NOT TO HOLD OUT:

BECKHAM JR.: When your ankle snaps, it feels like your world is turned upside down. I'm just thrilled to be back there running around. I don't believe in any of that [holdout] stuff. I feel that they'll get it done when it's supposed to get done. We'll figure it out. I'm just out here focused on getting all the plays down, and being the best that I can be.

TAKEAWAY: Beckham Jr. had every reason in the world not to report to training camp, given the severity of his injury last season and the lack of financial security beyond 2018. However, it seems as though this offseason has been about Beckham committing to the Giants, and embracing his role as a leader, while doing all of the things that would likely convince ownership to commit top dollar to him for the long-term.

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ON IF REPORTING ON TIME MADE AN IMPRESSION WITH THE FRONT OFFICE:

BECKHAM JR.: I don't really know how to answer that. I just know to do what I'm supposed to be doing, and the rest will take care of itself. Life always has a funny way of reminding you who's in control, and it's done that. I'm just taking it a day at a time, and it'll happen when it happens."

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TAKEAWAY: Unlike Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones, who threatened to hold out if the final three years of his contract weren't reworked, Beckham has done everything asked of him throughout this offseason and it is entirely fair to wonder if this was what the Giants organization needed to see before engaging in talks on a contract that could make him the highest-paid receiver in the NFL.

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Giants WRs speak candidly about Beckham Jr.'s leadership this offseason

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IS BECKHAM JR. OPTIMISTIC A DEAL WILL GET DONE?

BECKHAM JR.: "Optimistic? Yeah. I'm optimistic. It will all work itself out. Life always does."

TAKEAWAY: It is hard to ignore that talks seem to be heating up this week on a new deal. Mara spoke at the onset of training camp about negotiations with Beckham beginning 'soon,' and on the same day that it was reported that those talks had commenced, Beckham's agent spent the morning watching practice with Giants Vice President of Football Operations and assistant general manager Kevin Abrams. Reports suggest the goal for both sides is to have a new deal in place before the Sept. 9 season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Beckham seems to believe that could wind up being a reality.

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ON HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH PAT SHURMUR:

BECKHAM JR.: "Coach Shurmur's great. When we first met in LA, we sat down and talked football. To see his mentality, and how he's going to run the ship, it's just been phenomenal to come in here every day. It's almost like you've been given a new workplace, and you love it. He makes it fun for us. He's done a great job. He's got everyone doing what we're supposed to be doing."

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TAKEAWAY: From the moment this offseason began, it seems as though Shurmur's commitment to building a relationship with Beckham is what drove the dynamic wide receiver to both report to all of the voluntary offseason workouts as well as embrace the role as one of the team's leaders. It isn't a stretch to say that Beckham remains on the roster, and that contract talks have progressed as quickly as they have in recent weeks because of the groundwork laid by Shurmur shortly after he took the job.

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Matt Lombardo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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ON HOW HIS ANKLE IS FEELING:

BECKHAM JR.: "I don't really feel it. I don't think about it much, I try not to. I'm getting back to as close to 100 percent, as I can. It's been a long process, I'll say that. I've been feeling it as I worked out, over the last month, I've taken a huge stride. Maybe two months ago, it wasn't as smooth. I wasn't getting out of cuts as quickly. You feel that frustration, and you want to get back to where you were. It's been a lot of hard work, a lot of rehab, a lot of doctors, a lot of pain that you've went through, but it's good to be here now."

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TAKEAWAY: Just watching training camp, and how effortless Beckham has gotten in and out of his cuts on various routes, as well as the explosive plays and one-handed catches, it would be nearly impossible to even tell that Beckham was ever even injured in the first place.

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ON ADDRESSING OFFSEASON TRADE RUMORS

ODELL BECKHAM Jr.: "Noise? Rumors? You never know. I remember I used to say, all the time, don't take it personal. I still took things personal. I really have gotten that out of my heart, to not take anything personal. With doing that, it's left things that I used to worry about, out of the equation. Once you can take that out of your heart, and not take things personal, it's a completely different story.

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TAKEAWAY: There was a time, immediately following the NFL Annual Meeting, where there was a legitimate possibility that Beckham was going to be traded. His answer to how he's handled those rumors was arguably the most revealing answer during this press conference that underscores his personal growth and maturity this offseason. Now it is incumbent on Beckham Jr. to parlay that new mindset into how he carries himself on and off the field this season.

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ON HOW HE GOT BACK ON THE SAME PAGE WITH THE GIANTS:

BECKHAM JR.: "I literally watched my world feel like it turned upside down. I watched relationships close to me devour, things went wrong, things went sideways. There was a lot of pain that I went through over the past 10 months. Just taking a day-by-day mindset of waking up each morning and making sure that 'I'm going to do this right, I'm going to do the very best that I can in whatever it is,' it's just changing my mindset. It's helped me out a lot, with everything. It's helped me about a lot."

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TAKEAWAY: Beckham truly sounds as though going through last season's injury and the prolonged rehab to get back onto the football field has made an impact on him both as a player as well as a person. Meanwhile, the Giants' decision to open contract talks gives the impression that his personal evolution hasn't gone unnoticed.

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Saquon Barkley opens up about relationship with Odell Beckham

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TALK IS CHEAP PODCAST:

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HOW TO REACH ME:

Matt Lombardo may be reached at MLombardo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattLombardoNFL

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John Munson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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