The NY Giants are coming into the 2014 season with high expectations after starting 0-6 last year and Odell Beckham is expected to be a big part of that, which is one reason why Tom Coughlin was frustrated that the rookie wide receiver has been dealing with a hamstring injury in training camp, leaving Victor Cruz and Rueben Randle as the two main receivers for Eli Manning as he learns the new offense from offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo.
The Giants went 7-9 last season and now have missed the playoffs since winning the Super Bowl and after Manning had a career high 27 interceptions, the team is expecting massive improvements. According to ESPN New York, Beckham has been dealing with a hamstring injury through the beginning of training camp and he also previously missed parts of minicamp and OTA workouts with the same injury. Coughlin expressed his frustration with the injury, saying that Beckham needs to catch up with the offense since everyone is learning a new system and that the team is expecting him to contribute.
The Giants selected Beckham with their first round pick this season out of LSU and he is expected to be a major contributor on offense and special teams. Beckham was very productive in college and he was likely set to be the third or fourth receiver behind Cruz and Randle after Hakeem Nicks signed with the Colts. The Giants started training camp sooner than other teams since they are playing the Hall of Fame game against the Buffalo Bills in the first week of August.
The Giants open this season schedule against the Detroit Lions on the road and that will be the premiere of Monday night football. Coughlin said that he hopes Beckham will not be out for long and he was missing from practice after aggravating the injury. Manning had a rough season in 2013 and the Giants have basically revamped their offensive line and are installing a brand new offense and that could be just what the team needs after their struggles last year.
The Giants went 7-9 last season and ranked 19th in the league in passing yards per game and their rushing was even worse, ranking 29th in rushing yards per game. The team now has Rashad Jennings coming in along with Andre Williams and if David Wilson can contribute a little bit, the Giants should be much better in the running game.
