If there is a single player on the Giants who had a problem with Odell Beckham skipping offseason training activities, they have yet to speak up.
On Monday, star defensive tackle Damon Harrison offered the strongest counterpunch in Beckham's favor to those suggesting the wide receiver needs to be with his teammates during voluntary workouts.
"To be 100 percent honest with you I didn't even want to be at the voluntary workouts," Harrison said jokingly on Good Morning Football. "A guy like myself is useless -- I'm a physical guy and I can't do anything physical there [because] we don't have on shoulder pads. ... For a guy like Odell, 1300-plus yards every year he's been in the league, 10-plus TDs every year he's been in the league. When you come to a New York Giants game, 98 percent of people in attendance come to see Odell Beckham Jr. The other 2 percent they're just there to experience a football game. [The fans] are coming to see Odell. Have you seen him this offseason? He looks awesome. As long as you can still do what he needs to do to be prepared for the season. ..."
Harrison is right. Whether intentionally or not, Beckham has transformed this Giants team. His iconic catch successfully turned on a new generation of fans, giving the team its most explosive athlete since Lawrence Taylor and perhaps its most universally popular player ever.
That buys a lot of clout with teammates, coaches and executives alike. Team co-owner John Mara said he wished he had a dozen players like him.
A unified front around Beckham bodes well for the Giants as they head into a crucial training camp. With a top-heavy, veteran-laden roster bent on returning the franchise to the Super Bowl, the margin for error is quite thin. Not dealing with any in-house squabbles is a significant advantage.
