Tag: New York Giants

Giants

Odell Beckham Jr. Secures the Bag

New York Giants standout receiver Odell Beckham Jr. finally got the compensation he was looking for. Reports indicate that the Giants organization and OBJ have agreed to terms on a 5-year, $90 million mega contract extension, $65 million of which is fully guaranteed. The contract also stipulates that he could earn up to $5 million in additional incentives.

This deal makes him the highest paid wide receiver of all-time, and the Giants have no problem with securing their star wideout for the long term.

“You can’t force things, it’s a negotiation. It’s a back and forth, both sides have to be intentional and thoughtful, which we were,” said Giants General Manager Dave Gettleman. “It was great negotiating, it was a very good give and take with Kevin (Abrams) and Zeke (Sandhu). We got to the right answer as far as I’m concerned.”

OBJ has been saying for a long time that he wanted to be the highest paid receiver in the league, and it seems as though he spoke this goal into existence.

He spoke a bit on how he felt after signing the extension in the Giants press release:

“Honestly, I don’t even know how to explain it,” Beckham said. “I don’t know if it’s a relief, I don’t know – it’s a combination of everything. You’ve worked all your life to get to this point and it’s finally here. I have to thank Mr. Mara, Steve Tisch, Mr. Gettleman, coach (Pat) Shurmur, Eli (Manning), all the guys I played with in the past years. Everybody was really a part of this—my mom, my dad, my family, everybody who was supporting me through this. It’s just such an amazing feeling, I can’t even explain. Most importantly, I have to thank God for being able to put me back together mentally, physically, spiritually. This is just truly amazing; I don’t even know the right words to describe.

He now tops Antonio Brown as the wealthiest wide receiver in the NFL and has undoubtedly earned his cash. In his first three NFL seasons, the three-time Pro Bowler totaled 1,300+ yards, 90+ receptions, and 10+ touchdowns, surpassing several league records in the process.

After the deal went down, OBJ and his teammates had a field day. They couldn’t hold in their excitement as their teammate and friend made NFL history.

The future is certainly bright for this 25-year-old star, who still has lots of time left to earn his new contract after an injury-plagued 2017 campaign.

 

Featured Image via Wikimedia Commons

Giants

Giants TE Evan Engram Placed on Concussion Protocol

Evan Engram left Friday’s preseason contest early in the first half after suffering a concussion, causing him to miss the remainder of the game. Despite the absence of their starting tight end, the Giants were able to win the game by a score of 22-16.

Engram suffered the head injury after he caught a pass before he was squashed between Jets linebackers Darron Lee and Avery Williamson in the second quarter. Engram lost control of the ball after the collision which was picked up by Gang Green. However, the ruling on the field of a fumble was eventually overturned after a review of the play.

Not only did the Giants lose Engram, but tight end Rhett Ellison also went down with an eye injury.

When asked about the injury to Engram, Giants head coach Pat Shurmur replied, “He’s in the protocol. We’ll just see where he’s at. I really don’t want to add anything to that, but nothing’s really changed from last night. We’re moving him through the protocol.”

Engram was everything the Giants hoped for in his rookie season after being taken by the team with the 23rd pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He totaled 722 yards on 64 receptions, along with six touchdown receptions.

Engram broke several NFL records during his first season as a pro, including the most consecutive games with 4+ receptions, 50+ receiving yards, 1+ TD by a rookie tight end (3). He also broke the Giants record for the most touchdowns in a season by a rookie tight end (6) and the most games with 30+ receiving yards, 1+ TD by a rookie TE (6).

He has proved to be a threat on the offensive end time and time again, and with young players on the rise like Saquon Barkley and Sterling Shepard in the mix, the organization’s offense could shape up to be one of the best in football.

 

Giants

Pay Day Coming Soon for OBJ

The Giants have been trying to work out a contract extension with star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. for some time now, but they have had no success in ironing out the details. This didn’t worry OBJ though, who noted on his Twitter account that “Timing is everything.”

It appears that time is now, as reports indicate that the two parties have “made progress on what is expected to be a record-breaking contract.” It is expected that the specific details of this deal will be done by the time the regular season is underway.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans is currently the league’s highest-paid wideout in terms of guaranteed cash after signing a five-year, $82.5 million deal, and Antonio Brown leads the NFL with a compensation of $17 million annually, but that appears to be chump change to ODB. “I believe that I will be hopefully not just the highest-paid receiver in the league, but the highest paid, period,” said Beckham.

Odell Beckham Jr. has been the No. 1 wide receiver for the New York Giants for some time now. Despite being limited to four games last season with a nagging ankle injury, he is been extremely effective in his three years prior. In each of his first three seasons in the NFL, Beckham totaled 1,300+ yards and reached double-digit totals in the touchdown department. His best season as a pro came in 2015 when he finished with an astounding 1,450 yards on 96 receptions, including being responsible for thirteen trips to the end zone. He also experienced the longest reception of his career, an 87-yard masterpiece.

His numbers this early in his career are unprecedented not only within the Giants organization but the entire National Football League. He is the fastest player to reach 250 career receptions (38 games), 4,000 career receiving yards (42 games) and has the most receiving yards of any wideout in his first two NFL seasons with 2,744. The list goes on.

What he has been able to accomplish in his first few seasons as a pro is nothing short of amazing. In addition to being named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2014, he is also a three-time Pro-Bowler and two-time Second-Team All-Pro. Keep in mind that Beckham is still only 25 years old. Although he hasn’t played in a preseason game yet, he reminded fans across the country why he is considered to be elite during the New York Giants minicamp.

If you are still questioning whether or not OBJ deserves the kind of contract he is seeking, I challenge you to take a look at the following video and name another player on planet Earth that could make this catch:

If and when Odell returns to full form, Saquon Barkley and himself will likely keep NFL coaches and players up at night wondering if it is even possible to slow this duo down.

 

Featured Image via Wikimedia Commons

Giants

Former New York Giant Victor Cruz Retires

According to reports, Former Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz has decided to hang up his cleats and begin a new chapter in his life as an analyst for ESPN.

Cruz’s story is one that no one will soon forget. Undrafted out of the University of Massachusetts, he was signed by the Giants in the preseason. He was fighting for a roster spot, way down in the depth chart at the wide receiver position. Coupled by his stellar play and some injuries to other wideouts, Big Blue decided to keep him around. He worked his way up from the bottom and would go on to be an important part of New York’s success for years to come.

In his first full two seasons with the Giants, Cruz recorded 1,536 yards with 9 touchdowns, and 1,092 yards along with ten touchdowns, respectively. However, 2011 was clearly the more memorable for the former Pro-Bowler. In that year, he earned Second Team All-Pro honors for his outstanding performance during the season and even tied an NFL record that will stand as long as the clock continues to turn, recording a 99-yard reception on Christmas Eve against the other team that represents the Big Apple, the New York Jets.

Cruz along with the rest of his teammates would eventually go on to win the Super Bowl that year, taking down Tom Brady and the New England Patriots yet again. He performed well in the big game given Belichek’s specific instructions to his defense to shut him down completely to force Eli’s hand to get his secondary options more involved. Cruz caught every ball thrown at him, totaling four receptions for 25 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown pass for the first end zone trip of the game for either team.

Now that his career is officially over, Cruz intends to pursue other opportunities in football at ESPN. “As I officially close one chapter of my life and begin another, I could not be more thrilled to join another championship team at ESPN,” said Cruz. “I’m excited to get started and share my insight and analysis with the viewers and fans of the NFL.”

 

Featured Image via Flickr/KatVitulano Photos

Giants

Saquon Barkley Decides to Leave Roc Nation for CAA

Saquon Barkley, the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, has left Roc Nation for marketing purposes in favor of the Creative Arts Agency. However, Roc Nation will still represent the former Maxwell Award Finalist in NFL contract negotiations and other football matters.

Roc Nation, founded by hip-hop mogul Jay-Z, helped Barkley secure a four-year, fully guaranteed $31.2 million rookie deal with the New York Giants in July following his selection by the organization in the draft. A significant portion of that money, $20.8 million to be exact, came as a signing bonus after rigorous negotiation by the agency.

The CAA is home to some big names in the business, including superstars like Julio Jones, J.J. Watt, and DeAndre Hopkins. They have also represented plenty of accomplished players who are now retired such as Peyton Manning, Derek Jeter, and David Beckham. These guys certainly saw their fair share of money during their playing careers, and Barkley appears to be following in their footsteps.

This is not to knock the reputation of Roc Nation though. They also have some above average clients like Kevin Durant, Todd Gurley, and Robinson Cano.

Although Barkley has just started his NFL career, he is by all means destined for stardom. On just the first carry of his rookie season, he gave Giants fans a glimpse into the future of things to come.

Barkley’s decision to team up with the CAA will likely give him the best of both worlds as Roc Nation will use their expertise to maximize his earning potential while the CAA maintains his image and reputation both on and off the playing field.

 

Featured Image via Google Images

Giants

Jalen Simmons Suffers Concussion in Win Over Lions

Jalen Simmons, a running back from South Carolina State University, suffered a concussion during the Giants’ preseason win over the Detroit Lions and was immediately placed on concussion protocol. He left the game with eleven yards on six attempts.

He took a knee to the head which caused him to hit the ground hard, unable to move his upper body as he fell to the turf. However, he was still able to move his legs as trainers rushed to his aid.

Eventually, Simmons was able to rise to his feet and walk off the field (slowly) as fans applauded the running back for his toughness.

He has been very effective at times during the 2018 NFL preseason. In Week 1 vs. the Cleveland Browns, Simmons totaled 38 yards on seven carries, including a rather impressive eleven yard rush in the process. He also managed to punch the ball through the goal line for a touchdown in the third quarter.

Unfortunately, this injury could not have come at a worse time for Simmons as he attempts to earn a roster spot with the Giants. New York currently has six running backs on their roster, including two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley and 2015 Pro-Bowl halfback Jonathon Stewart. These two are basically guaranteed roster spots along with two-time Second Team All-ACC honoree Wayne Gallman, leaving very little wiggle room for Simmons to squeeze his way onto the team by the time the regular season rolls around. After sustaining this injury, he will lose valuable time to prove his worth to the organization.

Hopefully, Simmons will recover quickly and get back to the field before its too late.

 

Featured Image Via Google Images/Wikimedia Commons