You have got to admire the hubris and the chutzpah, if not the health. Giants rookie receiver Odell Beckham Jr. — whose handful of reps in 7-on-7s were his first action since the first day of camp — says the Big Blue offense can be the best in the NFL.
“It has potential to be, if not the best, one of the best in the league,’’ Beckham said Tuesday. “When you have a receiving corps like we do, and a great quarterback along with the backfield and the tight ends and much improvement from the offensive line, I don’t see anything but being one of the best in the league.’’
The first-round pick has had a pretty good view of new coordinator Ben McAdoo’s new offense, watching from the sideline since pulling his hamstring on the opening day of training camp. But neither his injury nor the Giants’ 28th ranking in offense last year nor struggles this preseason has dimmed his confidence.
Beckham finally got some reps Tuesday, albeit very few and only in 7-on-7s. The first two passes targeted for him got picked off.
“He’s building up. He had a few snaps today. Not many, but a few,’’ coach Tom Coughlin said.
Asked how he would use a healthy Beckham, Coughlin said, “Let’s get him on the field first, get him out there to realize how we’re going to use him on the field. We certainly had good thoughts when we drafted him and I don’t see anything to discourage that right now. We just need him to get practicing.’’
Plaxico Burress returned to Quest Diagnostics Training Center, in what is believed to be the ex-Giants wideout’s first appearance at Big Blue’s facility since 2011, when he had a meeting with the team after serving time for gun charges.
Burress, who played for the Giants from 2005-08 and famously predicted their Super Bowl upset over the Patriots, left with some bad blood, ripping Coughlin and Eli Manning over not visiting him while he was incarcerated. But the receiver and team have since mended the relationship.
WRs Victor Cruz and Marcus Harris returned to practice Tuesday.
Manning talked about the second rap video he made with older brother Peyton, an ad for DirecTV.
“I thought it was a one-hit wonder for me last year, but I guess they had to come out with No. 2,’’ he said.