Disaster vs. Cowboys shows Giants should pay Beckham whatever he wants
"I believe that I will be, hopefully not just the highest-paid receiver in the league, but the highest paid, period." - Odell Beckham Jr., Uninterrupted
The New York Giants receiver made headlines this offseason for commenting that he wants to be the highest-paid player in the league once his contract is up following the 2018 season.
A receiver has never been the league's highest-paid player since the salary cap era began in 1994, but anybody who watched the Giants' embarrassing loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday without Beckham would likely agree that the former LSU star deserves it.
An ankle injury kept the 24-year-old on the sidelines, and the rest of the Giants offense should have stayed off the field with him, because they would have had roughly the same impact on the contest.
The beleaguered unit only put three points on the board and totaled just 230 yards. Quarterback Eli Manning's numbers were almost as poor as last time Beckham missed a regular season game, a 2015 contest against the Minnesota Vikings.
| Stat | 2015 vs. Vikings | 2017 vs. Cowboys |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | 234 | 210 |
| Completion % | 51.7 | 73 |
| TD | 1 | 0 |
| INT | 3 | 1 |
| Rating | 50.7 | 77 |
Ben McAdoo is often credited with fixing Manning's problems, showing up after a terrible 2013 season and resurrecting the two-time Super Bowl champion's career in 2014. The Giants front office believed so much in the 40-year-old that they gave him the head coaching job in 2016 despite the fact he had no experience in the position at either the collegiate or professional level.
They could have saved that money and just tacked it on to Beckham's upcoming contract, because it's the electric wideout who has saved Manning's career, not McAdoo.
Since Beckham arrived, Manning has put up the three of the four highest passing-yard totals of his career, while throwing for 91 touchdowns against 44 interceptions.
The jump in Manning's numbers from 2013 to 2014 when Beckham arrived is staggering.
| Stat | 2013 (Before Beckham) | 2014 (After Beckham) |
|---|---|---|
| Completion % | 57.5 | 63.1 |
| Yards/Game | 238 | 275 |
| TD | 18 | 30 |
| INT | 27 | 14 |
| Rating | 69.4 | 92.1 |
If the Giants have any hope this season, Beckham needs to be on the field terrorizing opposing defenses. Regardless, the front office has two years to figure out a sum that will keep the star wideout happy in his next contract, and, in turn, keep the team relevant in the NFC East.