Those opposed to the New York Giants pursuing a reunion with Odell Beckham Jr. frequently cited the March signings of Calvin Austin III and Darnell Mooney.
As it turns out, there may have been too much offseason Kool-Aid going around.
Not only is Beckham back in a Giants uniform, but he’s drawn consistent praise from coaches, players, and media members attending organized team activities.
And while Beckham might not be a 1,000-yard receiving threat, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan sounds far more bullish on Beckham than he does Austin or Mooney.
Is it time for Giants fans to write Darnell Mooney off?
In theory, Mooney should have been perhaps the Giants receiver with the most to gain this spring.
Malik Nabers remains out indefinitely with knee issues, and Darius Slayton hasn’t practiced after offseason sports hernia surgery.
Mooney and Austin were the most accomplished, healthy veteran receivers on the roster before Beckham’s arrival. It’s disheartening, then, to hear Duggan be so down on the 28-year-old Mooney.
“Mooney looked like a role player this spring, not someone poised to replicate his 992 yards from 2024,” Duggan wrote.
That is absolutely the worst thing that Giants fans should want to hear, even more so if Nabers can’t go against the Cowboys in Week 1.
The expectation realistically never should have been Mooney breaking out for 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns. The Giants signed him to a one-year deal and guaranteed him $3 million to be a competent No. 2 or No. 3 receiver.
But forget the money for a second. There are plenty of teams that could survive paying a receiver $3 million to be a “role player,” though those are typically teams like the Chiefs or Cowboys.
Mooney, though, signed what we call a “prove-it” deal. With a strong season, Mooney could potentially set himself up for a multi-year contract next March, whether it’s with the Giants or elsewhere.
So, for the buzz this early on to be that Mooney hasn’t impressed at all, that alone is exactly why he signed a one-year deal.
Duggan isn’t high on Austin, either, and there hasn’t been much talk about JuJu Smith-Schuster or Braxton Berrios. The only news on either player was the viral video of Smith-Schuster looking slow before dropping a ball.
As things stand, would anyone truly be surprised if the Giants’ top two receivers in Week 1 are Slayton and Beckham? That’s a winning combination: A veteran whose career is defined by drops, and a 33-year-old who has nine catches since the start of 2024.
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