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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Now that Odell Beckham Jr. has reported on time for Giants training camp, head coach Pat Shurmur expects him to be a (mostly) full participant, too.
Though Shurmur promised the Giants would "be smart" with Beckham, who is nine months removed from surgery on a broken ankle, the coach made it clear there shouldn't be much holding his star receiver back. Asked specifically if he expected Beckham will be medically cleared to participate without limitations, Shurmur said "I do. I anticipate that he'll be here and ready to go."
That's a little different than what happened during the Giants' full-team mini-camp in June, when Shurmur insisted Beckham was "cleared to practice," but the receiver only participated in individual drills. According to a source, the Giants wanted him to fully participate in that camp, but Beckham chose not to because of his uncertain contract situation.
The Giants, at the time, chose not to make it an issue. Shurmur was careful to avoid answering the question of whether Beckham was "fully" cleared back in June. "He's cleared to practice," Shurmur said then. "But guys that end the year with injuries come back at different rates."
Beckham, of course, is seeking a lucrative, long-term deal that would make him the highest-paid receiver in the NFL. The Giants, who publicly flirted with the idea of trading him back in March, were not engaged in any serious negotiations with Beckham's agents at the time.
Six weeks later, there is also no indication that a deal is close. And while sources had said Beckham planned to show up for the first day of camp, no one has said just how much he'll be willing to do when the team takes the field for its first practice on Thursday.
Shurmur said he had "no reservations" about putting Beckham in full-team drills, but he did give him a little cover in case his participation isn't quite "full."
"We're going to be smart about what we put on his plate," Shurmur said. "With all players coming back from injury, we just have to be smart about how much we give him, going forward."
