Should the Giants reunite with Odell Beckham Jr.?

The New York Giants are bringing the band back together for the 2023 NFL season. Quarterback Daniel Jones signed a four-year, $160 million contract, and running back Saquon Barkley received the franchised tag, with the presumption that general manager Joe Schoen will look to extend the star back.

The 2023 cap number for Daniel Jones will account for $19 million, which gives the Giants flexibility for the upcoming free-agent period. A pressing need at wide receiver still looms over the franchise.

And from a distance, the Giants’ fan base quickly discerns the indistinguishable voice of Jay-Z:

“Allow me to reintroduce myself”

Prompting the Public Service Announcement of Odell Beckham Jr.’s return to New York eliciting an evocative mixture of rancor and nostalgia. Upon his return, some fans would be jovial, and others would feel acrimony toward perceived past transgressions.

From the iconic Sunday Night Football catch against Dallas to the inane proposal of a kicking net, there was rarely a dull moment with Odell Beckham Jr.

Should the Giants consider reconvening with the 2014 first-round selection?

The basics

Age: 30 in the 2023 season
Height: 5-foot-11 | Weight: 198
Position: Wide receiver
Experience: 8 seasons with one year off
2021 stats: 18 games (6 with the Browns; 12 with the Rams) | Targets: (104) | Receptions: (65) | Yards: (825) | Yards per Catch (12.7) | Touchdowns: (7) Catch | Drops (5) | Catch Percentage: (62.5%) | Super Bowl Victory (YES)

The skinny

Although Schoen has expressed the importance of filling out the roster, it would be naive to believe he won’t find assets to assist his newly paid starting quarterback.

The free-agent wide receiver class is seemingly unsatisfactory, and the market at that position is robust, meaning average players will likely receive above-average payments.

The lack of star power in the available free agents compounds the issue for a team like the Giants, who desperately need a number-one wide receiver. Beckham could provide the star power that the Giants require.

Previous general manager Dave Gettleman traded Beckham Jr. after the 2018 season when the recently paid wide receiver went on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown with Josina Anderson and Lil Wayne to air grievances about the Giants’ situation. Postulating that the interview was likely the straw that broke the camel’s back for Beckham Jr.’s time in New York isn’t difficult.

At the end of the season, Gettleman sent Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns for a first-round pick that turned into Dexter Lawrence, a third-round selection that resulted in Oshane Ximines, and young safety Jabrill Peppers.

His time in Cleveland was rife with struggle. Despite Beckham Jr.’s cachet and talent, quarterback Baker Mayfield could not establish a rapport with the growingly agitated receiver. Beckham Jr. often ran the backside dig route through the Browns’ progression on a run-heavy offense.

Mayfield didn’t consistently work through those progressions to give Beckham Jr. a chance to shine. Beckham Jr. also missed much of the 2020 campaign with a torn ACL after he had core muscle surgery to conclude the 2019 campaign.

The Browns eventually released Beckham Jr in 2021, causing the Los Angeles Rams to sign the former LSU Tiger ahead of their Week 10 matchup. He caught 48 of 70 targets for 593 yards and seven touchdowns for the Rams, including two catches for 52 yards and a score in Super Bowl LVI—unfortunately, Beckham Jr. tore his ACL in the Super Bowl and hasn’t played football since.

He’s reportedly healthy, in shape, and ready to play football in 2023. In early October of the 2022 season, Odell Beckham Jr. visited the Giants’ facility to check in on recently injured WR Sterling Shepard, who tore his ACL in Week 3 against Dallas.

Here is Schoen’s response when asked about Odell Beckham Jr. returning to the Giants:

Beckham Jr.’s eminence and notoriety would seamlessly ingratiate him to a locker room well aware of his impact—many hints throughout recent memory alluded to Beckham Jr.’s desire to return to the Big Apple in Blue.

Barkley and impending free-agent WR Sterling Shepard are very close to Beckham Jr. Others are making pitches to the former New York Giant to return to the city that first was tattoed on his back:

The two major impediments to this reconciliation are his injury history and the financial aspect of his contract. Superficially, I’m okay with the latter if the former constrains the latter in a befitting manner to the reality of his circumstances.

However, it’s a market where other teams can affect the sum of his contract. According to Spotrac.com, Beckham’s market value is two-year, $26.4 million - an average annual value of $13.2 million.

According to OverTheCap.com, the Giants have $18.47 million in cap space after Jones’ contract and Barkley’s franchise tag. This is, of course, before the official release of wide receiver Kenny Golladay. Something will likely also be done to Leonard Williams’ enormous $32 million cap-hit for 2023, and extensions for Barkley and star defensive linemen Dexter Lawrence can also bring the 2023 cap number down.

By his admission, Schoen deemed himself stubborn during negotiations after Jones signed his new deal. It’s not the most sagacious move to pay a 30-year-old wide receiver a year removed from football, with that many injuries, more than $10 million a year.

Still, it’s challenging to overlook the influence a healthy Beckham Jr. would have on the Giants’ offense. If he’s close to what he was - even in 2021 - then $13.2 million a year could be a bargain, and it can significantly help the Giants' biggest offensive issue from 2022 - creating explosive plays through the air.

How would a move of this magnitude affect the Giants going forward? Is it prudent? Would adding Odell Beckham Jr. be a deleterious disaster, or would it help maintain a convivial atmosphere of teamwork and camaraderie?

Winning is the component to answer these questions, so would Beckham Jr. help the Giants win next year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!