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New York Giants 2015 Training Camp Profile: WR Odell Beckham Jr.

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The New York Giants will head into 2015 training camp with renewed hope after playing well down the back nine of the 2014 season. One of the main causes of all the excitement is the expectation of what an entire 16-game campaign for WR Odell Beckham Jr. might look like after he absolutely captivated  NFL fans and media alike in 2014.

Beckham Jr. missed the first four weeks of 2014 with a hamstring injury, and underwhelmed for the most part in his first three appearances. However, in a Week 9 home game against the Indianapolis Colts, it became evident Beckham Jr. had everything QB Eli Manning could want out of a WR from an ability standpoint after making eight receptions for 156 yards.

From Week 9 on, the rookie went for over 130 yards receiving on five occasions, scored nine TDs, and made arguably the greatest catch in NFL history against the Dallas Cowboys. If that wasn’t enough, he finished the season with a 185 yard game against the most-hated Philadelphia Eagles.

With Victor Cruz expected to be healthy, and Rueben Randle in the background wanting to prove he’s not chopped liver, the Giants have the makings of the top receiving corps in the game. Add in RB Shane Vereen, who is a pass catching specialist out of the backfield, along with Rashad Jennings who carried the Giants at times with a career rushing year in 2014, it’s entirely possible that New York has the makings of a top-5 NFL offense as well.

Hamstring injuries, especially early in a player’s career, can be a tad worrisome. Once a hamstring is damaged, it really never repairs correctly which could lead to an aggravation at any time. However, sports medicine has come such a long way that in 2015, it’s fair to assume Beckham Jr. should be as healthy as any other guy who plays such a physically demanding sport. Any whisper that suggests otherwise is painfully shortsighted at best.

Speaking of Beckham Jr.’s hamstring injury, an interesting plot twist surfaced recently. Reports out of Giants mini-camp suggest the young WR is less than pleased with the teasing he receives from his own teammates. Beckham Jr.’s been getting a hard time about how he’s become an overnight celebrity, after missing a recent practice due to the hamstring.

Let’s face it: if Beckham Jr. thinks he’s immune to the typical hazing that goes on between teammates inside an NFL locker room because his talent warrants him an exemption, he’ll find out in a hurry that he needs to develop tougher skin. If not, no matter what he accomplishes on the field, he’ll be in for a schism-laden career, and forever labeled as a diva.

Don’t expect this to be a thing that carries on into the season. With HC Tom Coughlin at the helm, it won’t gain enough steam to hinder the team on the field. Beckham Jr. is going to have another spectacular campaign, and in all likelihood, help the Giants to a postseason berth for the first time in three seasons.

Timothy Downs is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. You can ‘like him’ on Facebook add him on Google or follow him Twitter @Tidow1212

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