The New York Giants are finishing up OTA workouts ahead of minicamp and with Odell Beckham sitting out of most practices with a hamstring injury, there is a good chance that the wide receiver could be held out until training camp and this comes as head coach Tom Coughlin said he expects defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul to attend workouts.
The Giants come into the 2015 season after missing the playoffs and Coughlin's future with the team could depend on how the team does this year. The Giants need Beckham and Victor Cruz to be healthy and heading into minicamp it looks like the rookie sensation could be on the sidelines. According to NJ.com, there is a chance the Giants will keep Beckham on the sidelines until the start of training camp, as he has been dealing with "tightness" in his hamstring.
Earlier last month reports had Beckham looking better as OTA workouts progressed, but he hit a snag and now the team may shut him down for cautionary reasons. While missing any part offseason workouts is an issue for players, Beckham showed last year that he could sit out and still make an impact. Beckham dealt with an injury to his left hamstring--not his current injury--and he missed four games before suiting up for the Giants and having a record season.
Eli Manning said that Beckham is trying to be "smart" about the injury and there is a good chance the team keeps him limited until he is fully healthy. Cruz is still on his way back from a serious knee injury suffered last season and the Giants have Rueben Randle, Geremy Davis, Corey Washington, Julian Talley, Preston Parker, Dwayne Harris and Juron Criner on the roster. Last season Beckham won rookie of the year after making 91 catches for 1305 yards and 12 touchdowns in just 12 games played.
The Giants have Jason Pierre-Paul still absent from team activities and there has not been much movement since March about a new contract for the defensive end. According to Ralph Vacchiano at the Daily News, Coughlin is expecting Pierre-Paul to show up for minicamp and said that he was "confident" that he would be back with the team soon.
The Giants used the franchise tag on JPP this offseason and the one year tender for a defensive end is just shy of $15 million. Earlier in the offseason the Giants opted to use the franchise tag over signing a long term contract with Pierre-Paul and now the two sides have until mid-July to agree. Pierre-Paul is 26-years-old and the Giants want to keep him, but he has dealt with injuries in the past and had two down seasons before recording 12.5 sacks last year.
The Giants have Eli Manning coming into the final year of his contract and while a deal is likely coming down the line, the QB said he is "comfortable" playing out the extension. JPP may want to hold out for a long term deal and if he ends up signing the one year tender, it could be his final season in New York. The Giants are looking to get back to the playoffs for the first time since winning the Super Bowl and that puts extra pressure on Manning and Coughlin this season.
