Not much has been seen from rookie Odell Beckham Jr since the New York Giants drafted him in the first round this past May. The wide receiver was expected to come in and immediately start replacing the holes left by the departure of Hakeem Nicks as the Giants had high hopes Beckham would compete immediately. However that has not yet happened and now the rookie's status is considered questionable for Week 1 of the NFL season.
Beckham has been on the sidelines since the start of training camp since he injured his hamstring. The wide receiver's injury forced the Giants to retain Preston Parker during roster cutdowns simply because he can play at wide receiver and kick returner, the role Beckham was supposed to hold. Head coach Tom Coughlin told media that the decision to keep Parker was critical with the ongoing questions of when Beckham will get back on the field.
"Preston also has the PR/KR ability. Right now that's very critical for us, because Odell Beckham was going to be the PR," Coughlin said, via NJ.com.
According to Coughlin, Beckham is very frustrated about the ongoing issue regarding his hamstring injury. The Giants have not lost faith in his ability to make the big plays and be an effective player on the team, but going from one ofter-injured player to another does not thrill Coughlin and company.
With the doubtfulness surrounding Beckham, players like Rueben Randle and Mario Manningham become crucial to the team's early success. The Giants are trying to avoid a terrible start like last season and that mainly means Eli Manning and his receivers must pull things together. That was the main reason Beckham was drafted to New York. However, Randle and Manningham must step up immediately.
Victor Cruz has of course been leading the charge for the Giants on offense. Parker has also been playing very well. Right now, Randle's stock is high, but many question whether or not he can really be that big play threat and be constantly relied on to perform each week. Inconsistencies have plagued his time in New York, but Randle is hoping that is behind him now. The receiver and Manning have struggled with communication throughout the preseason, something Coughlin hopes fixes itself soon.
"I thought the worst play of the night was, again, the miscommunication between Rueben Randle and Eli," Coughlin said, via Newsday.com. " 'I thought, he thought . . . ' Everybody in this room is tired of hearing that kind of stuff. There's no place for that."
There is no known timetable for the return of Beckham. The injury has lingered throughout all of the preseason, so it is likely it could stay that way for some time.
