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Palladino: Having A Healthy Odell Beckham By Summer Is Key For Giants

By Ernie Palladino
» More Ernie Palladino Columns

The only surprise about the NFL Network's Top 100 Players list is that Odell Beckham, Jr. wasn't selected higher than No. 32.

That's still not a bad place for a kid receiver entering his second year. But given his rookie accomplishments and the flash he showed in catching those 91 passes for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns in just 12 games, well, one might have thought his peers might have held him in even greater regard.

Maybe they hit him with some unspoken showboat penalty. Beckham showed a stunning lack of decorum for one so young and new to the league as he celebrated his acrobatic catches. Or maybe they just wanted the NFL's newest instant legend to know he hasn't quite reached the top of the mountain yet, and won't until he touches that shiny Lombardi Trophy.

Whatever the case, the Giants are lucky to have him. Or at least will be lucky to have him once training camp starts in late July. He and Victor Cruz sat out this week's mandatory minicamp with injuries. Cruz still is rehabbing from the patellar tendon surgery he underwent last year, and Beckham is resting the hamstring he yanked in late May.

Judging by the rest of the offense during the three days of no-pads practice, Eli Manning will certainly breathe easy once Beckham gets back. A talent like him doesn't come along often, and it is clear the Giants haven't hit the lottery in that sense.

There have been some dropped passes from the receivers behind Beckham on the depth chart, which is the usual case. But Manning appeared to throw with more confidence and authority in his second offseason in Ben McAdoo's West Coast style.

In Tuesday's opening workout at minicamp, for instance, he found tight end Daniel Fells with a 20-yard dart over the middle for a touchdown against covering safety Landon Collins. And he overthrew Rueben Randle on a couple of deep routes, events which Randle considered more positive than negative.

"I don't ever recall that happening," Randle said. "We noticed that his arm strength got stronger, and that's exciting for us."

Manning overthrew Randle again Wednesday, this time when the nominal third receiver behind Beckham and Cruz had left linebacker Jameel McClain in the dust 30 yards downfield. But the quarterback later zipped a sweet sideline completion to Fells while rolling right.

"I feel like we're doing things a little bit crisper and a little bit faster," Manning said. "We have a little better feel for the timing of the offense, and I feel we're making some big plays."

He was only speaking in relative terms, however. The other top candidates on the 11-receiver depth chart -- Corey Washington, Preston Parker, free agent Dwayne Harris, and sixth-round pick Geremy Davis -- failed to impress in any big way.

How well a refurbished offensive front comes together will go a long way in determining the success of the offense, regardless of the health of Beckham and Cruz. Minicamp proved it is still a work in progress. At least first-round left tackle Ereck Flowers signed his contract Thursday, thereby avoiding an unproductive training camp holdout.

As far as the running backs went, Rashad Jennings showed some power. Andre Williams looked aggressive when he swatted at the arm of a defender as he broke through the line, and then gave him a poke to the back of the helmet to emphasize the point.

As for Beckham, his only discernible trait as he took mental reps was the shock of red he added to the middle of the blond-topped 'do he carried over from last season.

The Giants will have to wait until training camp to see the full impact of the highest-ever ranked rookie in the NFL Network's top 100.

Given his importance to the still-developing offense, it will have been worth the wait.

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