Giants coach Pat Shurmur made it clear at his introductory press conference that he plans to work with quarterback Eli Manning for at least the 2018 season and a big part of how that will work out is going to be the quality of the receiving corps Manning has to work with on offense.
Odell Beckham is going to be central to that question as he returns from the ankle injury that ended his 2017 season. Assuming he’s healthy, Shurmur said that it “makes sense” to throw him the football a lot and he’d be the “wrong guy” for the job if he felt otherwise.
While no one would dispute that on-field role, Beckham’s emotional outbursts on the sideline and other off-field episodes caused a few stirs over the last couple of years. Shurmur said he was going into his first year with the team with a “clean slate” and looks forward to talking to the wideout to find out “why things happen.”
“I need to get to know him,” Shurmur said. “I need to get to know what makes him tick. I need to talk to him about what we’re looking for from a guy who plays from the New York Giants.”
Speaking generally about his coaching philosophy, Shurmur said he’ll have “zero tolerance” for players who don’t compete or show respect for the team. Getting Beckham to fit into that so the offense can reach its full potential will be a major part of Shurmur’s first season in the new job.