For any young super star that literally bursts on the scene and gains national attention, the scrutiny becomes magnified whenever something is said or done on or off the field. Odell Beckham Jr has been no stranger to both positive and negative perceptions of actions done throughout his short career. Early on the largest knock on Beckham was the level of maturity which at times became a distraction to the Giants organization. Often, team’s management and coaching staffs will look the other direction when talent speaks volumes on the field, which Odell has proven on a weekly basis. Going back in review on the 2017 offseason when Beckham and his agents were haggling for a new contract before his rookie deal had expired, those questions of how Odell carried himself were in full view for examination. Though the Beckham camp was surely justified to angle for a large long-term contract extension, the New York Giants used all the leverage they had to stay the course greatly underpaying one of the best receivers in the game.

While Odell remained frustrated with the lack of movement on a new deal, we completely empathized with him on that situation as he essentially was forced to play out the string of a contract that he completely outplayed based on value and return. While some perceive Beckham as a headache and a drama filled individual always voicing his displeasure placing the attention on his shoulders, the 2017 campaign fell by the wayside due in part to a broken leg ending his season and putting a damper on future contract negotiations. As the Giants season was filled with injuries to other high-ranking players, the year became a complete wash leaving no reason to risk getting Odell back on the field with a quicker recovery.

As the Giants moved forward, all attention was geared to rebuilding the front office which saw highly respected general manager Dave Gettleman begin the process. Shortly after, the Big-Blue secured their top candidate for their vacant head coaching position, hiring former Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur to reinstall stability to a squad that still has playoff and potential championship aspirations. In the midst of roster additions and turnover, Odell’s contract situation lost priority in media circles as draft day trade rumors had Beckham potentially being shipped to another organization. When all was said and done, the Giants selected to kept Odell and drafted another potential super star in Saquon Barkley to add a dynamic running game to a club that has been starving for production behind Eli Manning for years. It became clear to us at ADF that the direction the Giants were moving (post NFL draft) was in fact the turning point in how the Beckham camp chose to change their approach regarding his new contract.

It’s no secret that Odell Beckham Jr is one of the best wide receivers in the game with his endless amount of production and highlight reel plays. At times we too questioned whether Odell would find that maturity switch that would round him out as a top-flight individual to match the product on the field. As the offseason began to move forward, we anticipated the narrative to be filled with discussion that Beckham was indeed ready to holdout for that lucrative new contract he fully deserved. When the time came to report to training camp, Odell Beckham went on record saying he would put all the trust in his abilities and play out his fifth-year option, betting on himself to further prove he was worth a deal that could potentially make him one of the highest paid in the league and not only at his position. In hearing the selflessness to put the team first while realizing what this Giants club could do in 2018, we at ADF gained a large amount of respect for Odell in how he is handling his situation.