RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 2 sourcesWHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. - It's OK to dream, Giants fans - even if John Harbaugh, Brian Burns and Jaxson Dart are understandably hesitant to do so.
Players and coaches never want to get too far ahead of themselves, especially not on Day 1 of training camp and with a practice in which no one is wearing shoulder pads or hitting anyone.
But as Malik Nabers and Odell Beckham Jr. lined up next to one another in position drills Wednesday here at The Greenbrier Resort, Giants' past and future coming together as if this were some wild Big Blue saga within a Marvel-turned-NFL multiverse, the promise of better days ahead was undeniable.
In some ways, Nabers and Beckham were mirror images as they darted ahead five yards and cut, then continued another five yards before each caught a football from a Giants staffer.
The 33-year-old Beckham, living out a homecoming fantasy that became reality this spring, focused on defying the odds and earning a spot on this team. The 23-year-old Nabers, defying similar odds so many stacked against him in a comeback from knee surgery to repair his ACL and meniscus,
Just imagine what this offense could be like for Jaxson Dart if Nabers and Beckham were healthy, turning back the clock to two and five seasons ago, respectively, with an underappreciated offensive line still having something to prove and the unmistakable boost provided by Cam Skattebo in a return from a gruesome injury of his own.
"No," Burns said, with polite and professional intentions, albeit matter-of-factly. "Because I'm old enough and I've been in this game long enough to know that a lot of that don't matter at a certain point in time. It's hype. It's just about when the lights are actually on and we're actually getting it done. There's been plenty of teams I've been on that have been great on paper and season’s still turned out to be a dog, you know what I mean? So, until we put pen to paper, it don't really matter."
In his first action in practice since a brutal knee injury last season, Nabers was story of Day 1 of training camp.
His presence is undeniable. The Giants have several players they consider franchise cornerstones, and Nabers is one of them.
"Dynamic. He's a dawg," Burns said of Nabers. "A lot of receivers, they got his mentality in my opinion, he wants the ball in crunch time. He wants the ball when the game on the line. And you want that in your number one receiver. So, I know that kid likes to work so I can't wait to see him get back out there.
By not placing Nabers on the PUP [physically unable to perform] list to open camp, the Giants told us they see light at the end of his rehabilitation tunnel, a finish line that is more likely to come in August than October based on where he is today. His situation is layered - encouraging but layered given the circumstances.
When Harbaugh talked about the "slog" of rehab for Nabers this spring, it was as much mentally as it was physically. Nabers found a good mental space in June and was able to move better and seemingly have fun without thinking about his knee, protecting himself just the same.
That put him on track to take his recovery to next level. The extent of his work got him to where he is now.
And the lasting image of Wednesday's session - again, we know it's only one day - was of Dart and Nabers having a catch on the field well after practice had ended. Nabers had two catches for 20 yards in Dart's first career start in a victory against the Chargers last September before leaving with the devastating injury.
"Well, he definitely has a presence about him. There's an aura that he has on the field that is exhilarating," Dart said of Nabers. That takes one to know one, apparently, and as we analyze each movement Nabers makes in and out of his breaks, it's worth acknowledging that he is not getting ready to play a game this week, that this was an unexpected positive next step that many did not see coming this soon.
As Harbaugh suggested, a Beckham return is not as the OBJ who lit the league on fire, but Odell 2.0.
"Excited to see what he looks like with more time around him," general manager Joe Schoen said of Beckham. "First time I met him was, I think it was in 2022. We brought him in late in the season - he ended up signing that year [with the Ravens] - and had dinner with him, and so kind of got to know him a little bit there. But very humble around me, communicates well, just wants to win and truly cares about the organization, the New York Giants , and truly grateful for the opportunity he has right now to be back."
He has rejoined the team that drafted him and for whom he swiftly reached unexpected heights and worldwide popularity. "The Catch" created the OBJ phenomenon, with one-handed catches taking on a life of their own, and at every level of the sport.
How the wide receiver room comes together this summer with Nabers' recovery at the center of it all should go a long way in determining the offense's success, not to mention Dart's leap into Year 2. Beckham isn't an obvious option on special teams, so he will have to produce while proving he can stay healthy over the course of the next month and beyond.
Can Beckham emerge as a trusted target behind Nabers and with Darius Slayton, Calvin Austin, rookie Malachi Fields and Darnell Mooney? Is it so farfetched for Beckham to post Victor Cruz’s stat line in his final season from 2016 (39 catches, 586 yards, TD)?
Nothing we have seen from Beckham to this point, and that includes Wednesday's practice, suggests he won't have a puncher's chance at sticking with the Giants. This comeback story has a couple unwritten chapters remaining before that fate is determined, however.
Will this pairing of Nabers and Beckham be a dream deferred, or is there enou...
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