Will Odell Beckham Jr. Play Soon?

May 8, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Odell Beckham Jr. (LSU) poses for a photo with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected as the number twelve overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft to the New York Giants at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

Hello Giants Nation, this is Adam Ganeles and I’m here with my Co-Editor William Watts to discuss the Jints first round pick in 2014, Odell Beckham Jr.

Let’s jump right in, Will, why hasn’t Odell Beckham Jr. played or practiced much this season?

Adam, Odell Beckham Jr. is obviously an explosive athlete, but early on in the offseason he injured his hamstring and has missed a lot of perceived “vital time”. Here’s a snippet from ESPN’s Dan Graziano piece titled, Giants injury update: Beckham practices:

"Odell Beckham Jr. did more practice work Tuesday than he has in a long time, fueling talk that the New York Giants‘ first-round draft pick could be on the field for his NFL debut as early as the Week 5 home game against the Atlanta Falcons.“That’s the goal,” Beckham said Tuesday. “But it’s up to them.”“Them” is the Giants’ training staff, which has made it clear it won’t put Beckham on the field if he’s at all at risk of aggravating the hamstring injury that has held him out of action since June. But it’s obvious he’s getting closer, as he participated in some drills during Tuesday’s practice as opposed to running around by himself on a back field while trainers watched."

As you can see Adam, OBJ is practicing, but your New York Football Giants training staff has been hesitant to let Odell Becham Jr. participate before he is ready. This has been frustrating for everyone, even OBJ, whom put out this tweet to fans complaining about his manhood and willingness to play:

So when is Odell Beckham Jr. going to play, Will?

A recent article in Newsday from Tom Rock titled, Odell Beckham Jr. optimistic after returning to practice, had this to say about OBJ’s current return to practice and his goal of playing in Atlanta Week 5:

"“It was definitely a good feeling,” he said. “I feel like we’re starting to hit that home stretch. I’m just staying mentally strong and praying that nothing bad happens again.”Beckham won’t play Thursday in Washington, but he said his goal is to be ready for the Week 5 game against the Falcons on Oct. 5.“I’ve been anxious since the Giants picked me,” he said of getting onto the field for his NFL debut. “I had a setback, a couple of setbacks. It’s been unfortunate but it’s not something that you can just hang your head on and not move past. There will be brighter days in the future.”"

Adam, it’s obvious Odell Beckham Jr. wants to comeback ASAP, it’s just that hamstring injuries for fast athletes take time. It’s unfortunate, but right now it seems that Atlanta is the best case scenario — but — isn’t necessarily a sure thing.

Will, what does OBJ’s return mean for the Giants in term of West Coast Offense?

That’s a good question, Adam. As you know, the Giants installed a new west coast offense system under the guidance of first year offensive coordinator, Ben McAdoo. This is something the Giants knew they were building when they selected Odell Beckham Jr. in the first round back in May.

The team saw what OBJ did at LSU and realized what a weapon he can be in the system without even touching the ball. In theory, the WCO run five routes on any given play, run or pass. This is to disguise intentions for a defense originally in the Bill Walsh system. When you combine a player of OBJ’s abilities with someone like Victor Cruz and  now — Rashad Jennings, the WCO offense opens up options.

Even if Odell never touches the ball, he’s a home run threat that defenses will have to account for. What will his return mean? Adam, if OBJ returns and can be even slightly competent in the system, it could mean Eli faces less corner and safety blitz, as they have to respect the deep game. It could mean more punt return excitement, as OBJ is electric on special teams. But mostly, OBJ just needs to return because people are tired of thinking about what-if’s.

That’s a true sentiment indeed. Final Question, Will. Can the Giants succeed without OBJ in 2014? 

As the last game showed, the Giants can win any game they want to without Odell Beckham Jr. However, this team is 1-2 and they have a tough slate of games coming up. It all starts with the Washington Redskins on Thursday Night Football… if the Giants can get past them, it will go along way towards showing they can be fine without OBJ.

That said, this team didn’t draft OBJ to learn to play without him. They gave him $10.4 million guaranteed so that he could be a weapon and they need him. Obviously an NFL team can learn to succeed with or without any one player, as each team has a 53-man roster.

With the Giants in particular, they need Odell Beckham Jr., ideally against the Falcons and if they get him… things should definitely get more interesting for the G-Men, if not “easier”. Thanks for the questions, Adam. Got anymore?

Good stuff Will, no that’s all the questions I have for now. Thank you for joining us, Giants Nation and show Odell Beckham Jr. your support @OBJ_3.