Tuesday’s trade of Brandin Cooks to the Rams may not put an end to all speculation about a trade involving Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham, but the Rams had been the team most often linked to such a deal and Cooks’ arrival would seem to make their future involvement unlikely at best.
If Beckham does remain with the Giants, it’s not much of a mystery what kind of role he’ll be playing. He’s been the focal point of their passing game for most of his NFL career and offensive coordinator Mike Shula said that will remain the case as he and head coach Pat Shurmur build this year’s offense.
“He’s obviously a vital part of our offense,” Shula said, via Newsday. “When you have guys who can make plays and put points on the board you want to try to feature them as much as you can. You also have to realize you have other components and hopefully some more as we move forward through the offseason and the draft where we can put players on the field and we’re not going to be predictable. If teams want to try to take Odell away, then we’ve got other answers and good answers.”
There was a report that Beckham will not get on the field with the Giants or anyone else without a new contract, which will make his presence at the start of voluntary work next week something those around the team will be watching. Shula passed on any questions about Beckham’s status, saying he’s “learned over the years to avoid the swirls” while also figuring out that making Beckham the go-to guy on offense makes the most sense if he does show up for work.