NFL Network Reporters Appear to Dispute Josina Anderson Odell Beckham Jr. Report
Odell Beckham Jr. wants a new contract, which has been an ongoing situation for months. Since the blurred lines video, he hasn’t done anything that you would qualify as a distraction, but one could see why the Giants have some concern about making a longterm commitment based on his health and general combustibility. Reporters from ESPN and NFL Network disagree on where the recent contract talks left things.
This morning ESPN reporter Josina Anderson tweeted:
With no deal in place after face-to-face meetings last week, Odell Beckham Jr’s agent Zeke Sandhu is no longer in town. According to a #Giants team source, both sides worked diligently to consummate a deal, but could not agree on Beckham’s true market value. [1/2]
— ig: josinaanderson (@JosinaAnderson) August 6, 2018
[2/2] My understanding is that the Giants are currently valuing Odell Beckham at a total average per year below Sammy Watkins. #ContractTalks
— ig: josinaanderson (@JosinaAnderson) August 6, 2018
The implication here is that the Giants lowballed Beckham; Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network disagreed:
The Giants are known as a team that usually doesn’t waste too much time with lowball offers so this isn’t surprising. This indicates they’re already above Antonio Brown’s $17m per year. https://t.co/tt53dFf8Ii
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 6, 2018
The guess here is that Anderson’s sourcing comes from Beckham’s camp and Rapoport and Garafolo are hearing things from the Giants’ point of view. Semantically, the difference could lie in what the average total per year is if you *include* this season, which Beckham is already signed for.
These were some of Anderson’s follow-up tweets to her initial point:
Total Average per year on current contract (WRs):
— ig: josinaanderson (@JosinaAnderson) August 6, 2018
S. Watkins: $16M
M. Evans: $15.96M
J. Landry: $15.1M
D. Hopkins: $14.8M
B. Cooks: $14.7M
A. Robinson: $14M
S. Diggs: $12.3M
D. Adams: $11.8M
WR production 1st 3 seasons:
— ig: josinaanderson (@JosinaAnderson) August 6, 2018
Beckham: 288rec, 4,122ry, 35TDs
Evans: 238rec, 3,578ry, 27TDs
Watkins: 153rec, 2,459ry, 17TDs
Cooks: 215rec, 2,861, 20TDs
I'm talking abt total avg/Y, which includes his current compensation of this option year factored in. My understanding is new money isn't ballpark either. Leaving it at that. Beckham Jr is a transcendent player, compensation should reflect that, just lk Mack & Donald are seeking. https://t.co/zl12ahgcRv
— ig: josinaanderson (@JosinaAnderson) August 6, 2018
My thought is that the deal should not just "clear the hurdle" in exceeding key contract metrics, it needs to reflect the adjustment of the increase in the cap (which has gone up 47.21% since 2011 when Larry Fitzgerald's deal avg'd $16.1M back then)- &- should reset t/ WR market. https://t.co/wVeFshfyCj
— ig: josinaanderson (@JosinaAnderson) August 6, 2018
Whose side are you on here?