NFL Analyst Thinks This Pending UFA is "Best Fit" for Giants
Bring receiver Odell Beckham Jr home to the New York Giants?
That idea was recently [itced by NFL.com writer Nick Shook, who made a list of free agent fits for various teams. And for the Giants, who haven't had a true WR1 since Beckham's final season with the team in 2018 (also the last time the Giants had a 1,000-yard receiver), why not look toward a potential reunion?
I could envision Beckham returning to Baltimore, where he’s said he enjoyed his time immensely. But Beckham tends to take plenty of time to figure these things out, meaning he might be the last on this list to find a home. He has also sought employment with contenders since leaving Cleveland, and that likely won’t change in 2024. So where does he go?
He accounted for less than $5 million of cap space in Baltimore last year, making him a feasible signing for most teams. If a high-level quarterback is a requirement, that pool will shrink. And yet, I feel as if a return to New York has always been alluring to Beckham. Daniel Jones doesn’t do it for me, but maybe he will for Beckham – or maybe Beckham will once again wait out his free agency until a contender comes calling.
Beckham's return to the Giants would create plenty of storylines off the field but likely wouldn't help much on the field, considering the state of the Giants' offense. Then there is the matter of Beckham still being the same receiver he was when he was traded to Cleveland.
Beckham posted four 1,000-yard receiving seasons in his first five campaigns for the Giants, the lone exception being when a season-ending broken ankle limited him to just four games.
Since leaving New York, Beckham has only had one 1,000-yard receiving season, that in 2019 with the Browns. He's also had two ACL tears and hasn't played in a full season since that 2019 campaign.
And for the amount of money Beckham is likely to want in this, the back end of his career, it probably doesn't make sense for a rebuilding Giants team whose aim is to replenish its foundation with younger (and healthier) players who can form the organization's foundation for years to come.
Yes, the Giants need wide receivers, but they need receivers with more left in the tank than Beckham. New York signing Beckham at this stage in his career, combined with where the roster currently sits, wouldn't make much sense in the long run.
