Rueben Randle was a source of frustration for the New York Giants -- and fans -- during his four seasons in the Big Apple. Now with a fresh start in Philadelphia, the wide receiver is happy to move on.
"Unfortunate situation. Things happen, you've got to move on," Randle said Tuesday, of his time in New York, via the Philadelphia Daily News. "Miscommunication. ... They didn't like my demeanor and some things ... I was just judged wrong, read wrong. I gotta do better by that, learn from my mistakes ... try to move forward here."
Randle was benched twice in 2014 for being late to meetings and never quite filled the big shoes opposite Odell Beckham. In 2015, Randle started 16 games, earned 797 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. For getting 127 targets last season, his yards per opportunity were woefully low. Randle's rapport with Eli Manning never blossomed, and he seemed to struggle with certain aspects of the route tree.
The biggest indictment of Randle's inconsistent career in New York was despite the need at receiver, Big Blue didn't attempt to retain him in free agency.
After signing a one-year deal in Philadelphia, Randle begins minicamp with a chance to win the No. 1 role on the outside of the formation. With Jordan Matthews seemingly destined to remain in the slot, Randle could see a lot of targets with the Eagles.
"(He) has been a pleasant surprise," coach Doug Pederson said. "He's a guy that's a big, tall, sort of a smooth receiver that understands what we're asking him to do. He knows his role and you've got three or four or five guys out there right now that are competing for that spot."
Platitudes for a previously inconsistent player are a June staple, but it appears the heretofore maddening Randle will get a shot to prove he can handle a big role in a new city.
