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59 minutes ago
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The New York Giants can't really be signing Odell Beckham Jr. for the current version of himself, the one that has been through injuries and suspensions and struggled to make an impact in the NFL for the past few years.
It makes much more sense to view his signing, reported Monday, as being about the past version of OBJ.
Yes, it's about nostalgia, the player who interacted with fans for two hours at Brian Burns' recent celebrity softball game.
Even more, though, it's about the player Beckham once was, and the player Malik Nabers hopes to be.
Nabers was a star as a rookie, much like Beckham. But in year two, Nabers suffered a season-ending knee injury. Beckham has been in that spot, too.
For the Giants to reach their potential with Jaxson Dart at quarterback, they also need Nabers to be exceptional. Who knows how to handle early fame and brutal injuries better than Beckham?
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At least as far as the guys who were readily available, OBJ made sense to bring aboard and continue to show Nabers the way.
Maybe there'll be a throwback week when Beckham gets a bunch of snaps, makes a cool one-handed catch or two, and rekindles great memories in the hearts of Giants fans everywhere.
But the best thing he can do for his original NFL team, now that he's back, is make Nabers into one of the best receivers in football. If OBJ helps do that in any way, he's done the best thing he could do for the team that drafted him many years ago.
OBJ still believes in his own abilities, of course, and not every veteran player does well in a mentor role.
He's interacted with Nabers at events before, though, and he surely realizes the potential that the wideout from LSU (sound familiar?) still has to reach.
Nabers, in some ways, was already a long-awaited heir to OBJ. Now, Beckham has learned much, and he returns with a chance to share it.
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