Rueben Randle: “I Was Just Judged Wrong” With The New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Rueben Randle, who underwent gallbladder surgery two weeks ago, was cleared for limited participation in this week’s minicamp. He spoke with the media on Tuesday about his departure from the New York Giants and his future with the Eagles.

While most Giants fans put the blame squarely on the shoulders of Randle, he takes a slightly different view via Philly.com. “Miscommunication… They didn’t like my demeanor and some things… I was just judged wrong, read wrong. I gotta do better by that, learn from my mistakes… try to move forward here.”
In March, Randle was left waiting for a contract offer that never came which he referred to as an “unfortunate situation.” He also cited his laid-back attitude as part of the reason he’s no longer with Big Blue. Randle believes members of the Giants organization thought he was “out of it.”

While Randle admits there’s room to improve, one would have to conclude that Jerry Reese and the Giants judged him pretty fairly. During his tenure in New York, Randle was late to meetings, failed to build a report with Eli Manning and as a result was benched. His greatest deficiency with the Giants was failing to capitalize on playing alongside Odell Beckham Jr..

Randle even complained in December about not getting enough looks because of OBJ. He told the New York Daily News, “Odell is pretty much the prime target for us offensively… It’s definitely frustrating. As a receiver you want to get more involved. It can be kind of tough when the opportunities are limited.” Most receivers in the league would thrive alongside OBJ rather than complain.

As for his “laid-back” attitude, the Giants have a quarterback with a fairly relaxed demeanor, but no one has ever accused Manning of lack of effort. Eagles coach Doug Pederson called Randle a “pleasant surprise” at camp on Tuesday, but the same issues that drew the ire of Giants fans will reemerge in Philadelphia.