Last week, Odell Beckham’s agent, Zeke Sandhu, visited the Giants’ training facility and was seen near the field conversing with Kevin Abrams, the team’s vice president of football operations, assistant general manager and chief contract negotiator. To say that Sandhu left town without a new deal for Beckham is accurate, but reading anything into that is foolhardy.
There was no expectation a contract would get done at that time, during face-to-face talks. These things take time and have to start somewhere. Dialogue is opened up, preliminary numbers are discussed and there is an agreement to keep in touch.
The Giants know they are not getting Beckham on the cheap and are prepared to make their star attraction the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver. Whether that comparison eventually surpasses Antonio Brown’s league-high annual average of $17 million per year or Mike Evans’ standard-bearing $55 million in guaranteed money remains to be seen. Whatever the Giants’ initial offer is, it will not be their final offer. That is the way it works.
Although Evans and Sammy Watkins were both selected before Beckham in the 2014 NFL draft — Watkins went No. 4 to the Bills, Evans went No. 7 to the Buccaneers, Beckham went No. 12 overall — the Giants believe Beckham has elevated himself above both players and deserves top dollar. Where those numbers eventually tumble will be in the art of the negotiation, but the Giants will not play hard-ball to the point where they are insistent they pay Beckham less than Watkins (three-years, $48 million).
“Who doesn’t want to get more money?’’ Beckham said last week. “Everybody does. Realistically, you just got to be realistic with yourself. You see what happened over the offseason. I can’t really worry about anybody else, just let them figure it out and whenever it happens, it’ll happen.’’
After meeting and opening up talks with Sandhu, the Giants’ expectation remains the same: They anticipate getting Beckham’s contract worked out before the start of the season. The Giants open up Sept. 9 against the Jaguars at MetLife Stadium.
Those stressing over the contract and the details of the deal should take a cue from Beckham, who sounds thrilled to be healed from a fractured left ankle and confident of the financial reward about to come his way.
“I feel like they’ll get it done when they get it done, let my agent and them figure it out,’’ Beckham said “I just come out here, try and get all the plays down, focus on being the best that I can be. So, it’ll happen when it happen. Optimistic? Yeah, I’m optimistic. I’m confident it’ll all work itself out. Life always does.’’
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