Odell Beckham Jr. Missed Giants OTAs, Ran Drills With Johnny Manziel

As has been well documented, Odell Beckham Jr. missed the first two days of Giants OTAs this week. This probably matters more for optics than for what his performance will be on the field this season. OTAs are optional. Beckham will remain an otherworldly talent. But, the last image we had of him on a football field was dropping big passes in Green Bay after all the scrutiny he incurred for being on a boat in Miami.

This week, Beckham has finalized a record NFL shoe deal with Nike, and hung out with Johnny Manziel:

This comes from the Instagram of Beckham’s custom cleat artist Kickasso. TMZ says that Beckham and other receivers were running routes for Manziel: “we’re told the ex-Browns QB was firing the ball around — lookin’ like Johnny Football again. Odell — and few other receivers — ran routes while Manziel threw them passes. Word is his arm looked strong, and his feet looked fast.”

Manziel and Beckham hung out in Paris earlier this offseason.

Beckham is cementing himself under the microscope with these decisions. All will be well and good if he and Brandon Marshall meld together, catch a bunch of touchdowns, and propel a Giants’ playoff run. But if Beckham’s performance slips even a little, or if he has another playoff game like he did in Green Bay, he’s setting himself up to walk through another buzzsaw.