Welcome to the official attempted start of Let’s Make A Deal.
“Hey everybody, the one, the only Odell Beckham Jr. reporting to work! The haters’ favorite diva receiver!
“See? Told you I’d be here for the start of the voluntary workout program. Won’t be here long, but you know me, I’ll be dancing while I’m here.
“Your move, Mr. Mara.”
Or something like that.
If John Mara and the Giants are looking for an excuse to show Beckham the money, his making good on a good-faith promise to fly cross country and show up Monday is much more one small step for Beckham than it is one giant leap for Giantkind.
It doesn’t definitively mean the Giants won’t continue to entertain trade offers, or accept anything less than two first-round picks for Beckham between now and the April 26 draft.
It doesn’t definitively mean the Giants ultimately will pay him.
It doesn’t definitively mean that Beckham will not stage a holdout.
No one can possibly predict what it means.
But for one day at least, a day when Beckham had his fractured ankle examined and greeted new teammates and reunited with old ones, he found himself on the Looooove Boat, no Justin Bieber or pepperoni pizza in sight.
Pat ShurmurCharles Wenzelberg/New York PostLove, Giants style:
Head coach Pat Shurmur: “I really believe that Odell’s a professional, he wants to be great. He understands the importance of the offseason. He’s a competitive guy. … He’s a professional, and I’m glad he’s here today.”
Eli Manning on the Beckham trade talk: “I never got too concerned with it. We all know the talent that Odell has and what he brings to the football field, and look forward to playing with him this year and for years to come.”
Manning knew in advance that Beckham, busy with his rehab, would not attend his annual Duke throwing session with other Giants receivers.
“We’re on the same page, talked about it, it didn’t make sense,” Manning said.
And the video?
“That’s just kinda the world today. Sometimes things come up, he’s gotta deal with that, but I think he’ll handle that well and hopefully we’ll just focus on playing football at a high level.”
Message to Beckham: Don’t rock the boat.
None of this, of course, bridges the huge current gap between what Beckham will demand in a long-term extension and what the Giants are willing to pay him.
While it may be highly unlikely that the Giants trade Beckham between now and the draft, it is highly likely that ownership and GM Dave Gettleman deem it highly likely that Beckham will be busy training and ironing his No. 13 jersey in Los Angeles until such time as they show him the money.
It is highly likely that was the reason Mara opened that can of untouchable worms at the owner’s meetings.
Remember, it was more than highly likely that Beckham was untouchable when Mara kept professing a year ago that he wanted his dynamic star to be a Giant For Life.
Prior to the salary-cap era, the Giants took a ’til death do we part stance with Lawrence Taylor, and it is a little less than highly likely they can live with Beckham’s irritating indiscretions because of his otherworldly gifts.
“We talked [prior to the owners meetings] about the video,” Shurmur said.
The question that hovers over 1925 Giants Drive remains this one: Do they want to pay him or don’t they?
It is, until further notice, The $100 Million Question.



