New York Giants: Odell Beckham Jr. could be cleared for minicamp
By Alex Jordan
New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmur is optimistic that star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will be medically cleared for minicamp next week.
New York Giants star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. could be fully cleared in time for the team’s mandatory minicamp, which starts in the upcoming week.
Beckham, who is coming back from a season-ending ankle injury, didn’t attend Monday’s voluntary OTA. However, Giants head coach Pat Shurmur said on Monday that it’s possible that Beckham could be cleared for minicamp.
This also means he fully expects OBJ to attend minicamp, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
Last week, Shurmur said that Beckham was “pretty close” to being medically cleared. OBJ has looked good and expects to be ready for the start of the season.
He is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is looking for an extension that would make him the highest-paid player in the NFL.
Beckham attended multiple workouts in April. He also attended the teams voluntary OTAs, even though he’s been a limited participant. He has done everything he can to prove that he deserves an extension. So, why isn’t a deal getting done?
Shurmur told Raanan last week:
"“Dave said it already, contracts will get done when they get done. We’re not worried about [there being an issue if negotiations take time]. My experience with Odell has been that he wants to play football and he’s looking forward to get out here. He’s isn’t quite ready with his … he hasn’t quite finished his rehab yet. So he can’t do everything totally.”"
Having Beckham fully clear to participate in minicamp would be a huge help for the Giants. He should be getting acquainted with the new offense and re-acquainted with Eli Manning.
After going 3-13 last year, having Beckham back would be huge to the Giants playoff hopes. Last year the star receiver had 25 catches for 302 yards and three touchdowns before his injury. He has 313 receptions for 4,214 yards and 38 touchdowns in four seasons.
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Fully clearing Beckham for minicamp is a huge step for the Giants’ road to the playoffs.