With the most obvious trade partner for Odell Beckham Jr. going in a different direction, the New York Giants can press forward confidently imagining the star receiver in a new offense.
On Wednesday, new offensive coordinator Mike Shula, speaking for the first time since being hired in February, glowed about the possibilities Beckham brings to the field.
"As we still work through this with Coach [Pat] Shurmur, [Beckham] is obviously a vital part of our offense," Shula said, via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. "When you have guys that can make plays and put points on the board you want to feature them as much as you can."
Speculation about Beckham's future in New York won't completely go away until the Giants unequivocally quash the chatter, but with Big Blue players set to report for offseason workouts on Monday (April 9), Shula discussed what OBJ brings to the offense.
"God, he's such an explosive player," Shula said. "We've watched what everyone else has seen what he can do on the field. I'm really looking forward to being able to work with a guy like that. Again, what you see on the field, and talking to the guys that have had to defend him in Carolina, just how explosive he is, and getting the ball in the end zone. We're going to try to improve on that."
The mismatch Beckham presents when healthy is one reason many Giants fans cringe at the thought of the team jettisoning the game-changing but mercurial receiver.
If Beckham doesn't report for voluntary workouts on Monday, expect a new round of OBJ speculation. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport previously reported Beckham wouldn't set foot on the field without a new contract.
For his part, Shula won't fret about what he can't control with Beckham.
"I kind of learned over the years to try to avoid the swirls," Shula said, "and just kind of focus in on the things that I'm responsible for and at the time that I'm responsible for doing that."
At this point, he's responsible for creating an offense that takes advantage of one of the best playmakers in the NFL. Easy peasy.
