NFC Notes: Odell Beckham Jr, Giants, Vikings

Odell Beckham Jr

In his latest mailbag, Jay Glazer doubled down on his bold prediction that the Giants will trade WR Odell Beckham Jr this offseason.

“When I made the prediction, I was a little surprised at how shocked everyone seemed to be. Plenty of trade rumors swirled around Beckham last year,” Glazer writes. “John Mara had some sharp things to say about Odell last offseason before they signed him, and it was reported that he could be traded to the Rams and other teams, and, according to Chris Simms, the New England Patriots were reportedly also very interested. There were other teams calling around the trade deadline, so that wasn’t hidden information. It was Pat Shurmur who had to convince the Giants to re-sign him, that he would be worth it, that he would be able to keep the circus at a minimum.

“[I]t turns out the Giants have a lot more holes than anyone thought. They need massive help on the offensive line, they need a quarterback, they need pass rushers, plural, and they need linebackers. You’re not going to trade Saquon Barkley and you want to start building more around Saquon than you do around Odell. If you can take Odell and get some big bounty for him to fill more holes, I think that’s a wise business decision for the Giants. Giants fans may not agree, but if you can get several players for one, it might work. Whether or not they can get equal value for him, that I do not know.”

Giants

• Jordan Raanan of ESPN predicts that CB Janoris Jenkins, QB Eli Manning, and OLB Olivier Vernon will all be back with the Giants in 2019, despite being mentioned as possible cap casualties. 
• Raanan lists TE Rhett Ellison as a wildcard to watch for the Giants this offseason in terms of players who could be released. 

Vikings

According to new Vikings special teams coordinator Marwan Maalouf, “all things are on the table” at the kicker position right now. 

“As of right now, all things are on the table,” Maalouf said, via the Pioneer Press. “We are starting to look at [draft-eligible] kickers and free agent kickers. That’s something that I’ve had good luck with in the past. We have always had good kickers where I’ve been.”