GIANTS TRAINING CAMP: BECKHAM STILL WANTS TO IMPROVE
Michael Eisen
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – He’s played only three seasons, yet the records and accomplishments of Odell Beckham, Jr. cover nine full pages in the Giants’ 2017 media guide. So is there another level he can reach in Year 4, and if so, what must he do to get there?
“There definitely is one, and it just starts with everything an elite wide receiver can always do to be better,” Beckham said today. “Whether it’s finishing the top of your routes, coming back to the ball, locking in the point of the ball, there is just so much stuff you can do. I feel like each and every year I am going to try to get better. And if I am not getting any better, it might be time. You always want to be progressing so, I am just looking to progress this year.”
Why does the three-time Pro Bowler believe he will be better this coming season?
“I just put in a lot of hard work, a lot of time,” he said. “It was just kind of one of those summers, you know, back when you were in high school and you were going into college, or you just got with college and it was that same grind. You want to make it to the next level and right now, I’m feeling like I’m trying to make it to the next level. It was a lot of toe-hurting workouts, your feet were sore after, you needed an ice bath. It was one of those summers where we put in a lot of work. And I’m just ready for this season and to get here with this team, to bond with these guys. We have an incredible group, so it should be a lot of fun.”
*The Giants held their first camp practice today, a 75-minute exercise that was heavy on individual and position drills.
“We went out and moved them around a little bit, it was good,” coach Ben McAdoo said. “Today we saw how they responded. We didn’t do a lot of heavy work today, had about 3-4 speed periods out there. Dusted them off really football-wise, and we will go in and take a look at it and we will go from there.”
McAdoo will gradually increase the length and intensity of the camp practices.
“We have not seen them for six weeks so, we are starting like we do really the offseason program, just a little quicker,” McAdoo said. “We will put offense and defense together tonight in a jog thru-type environment without helmets just to get them used to putting their hands on each other a little bit, but nothing with any type of speed to it, just more teach pace. Tomorrow we will crank it up a little bit more, and then we will do that one more time before giving them a day off and a chance to recover, and come back and put some uppers on. We are gonna start small and build our way up. It’s not where you start in this business, it’s where you finish. And we don’t need to be ready to play a full game until we are ready to play a full game.”
*McAdoo said all-pro defensive tackle Damon Harrison is limited at the outset of camp because his “lower body” is sore, according to McAdoo.
“We are starting slow with Snacks,” McAdoo said. “He came in in good shape. He was a little bit sore, but we are starting slow with him.”
*Linebacker J.T. Thomas became the second player to begin camp on the active/physically unable to perform list. Thomas tore his ACL last Sept. 11 in the opener in Dallas and missed the remainder of the season.
“We are playing it smart with him,” McAdoo said. “We’ll see how it goes. He is making progress. He is not where we want him to be yet. Hopefully, it is not anything that takes too long.”
Running back Shaun Draughn (ankle) is also on PUP.