New York Giants: Drafting Saquon Barkley Means Odell Beckham Will Not Be Traded
The New York Giants made two important decisions in round one of the 2018 NFL Draft. First, they selected possibly the best running back in the draft when they took Saquon Barkley with the No. 2 pick. Secondly, by doing so they all but assured that Odell Beckham will be with the team for the 2018 season.
It may be a bit of wishful thinking on my part but look at what the Giants did and tell me how Beckham didn’t play a huge role in their decision to draft Saquon Barkley?
[MarkAds]In order for any rushing attack to be successful, there needs to be some sort of balance in the offense. Last season, Eli Manning threw for 3468 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. While steady numbers for Manning, there was a hole in the offense that stopped him from achieving more. For all the negative talk that has followed Beckham this offseason, we must remember that he was not on the field.
For any offense to work, there has to be a balance between the run and the pass. In 2017, the Giants were lacking that aerial attack. While blame was placed on Manning’s shoulders, what happened to the fact that Odell Beckham and Brandon Marshall missed more than half the season with injuries? Not to take anything away from Sterling Shepard and Roger Lewis, but they are nowhere near the playmakers Beckham and Marshall are.
While Manning suffered due to injuries, the running game didn’t fare so well either.
Led by Orleans Darkwa and Wayne Gallman, the Giants rushed for 1549 yards and six touchdowns on 349 attempts. This is why they took Saquon Barkley with the No. 2 pick. Dave Gettleman had no choice. The Giants needed to improve their ground attack and Jonathan Stewart was not enough.
On the other side of the coin, this is why keeping Odell Beckham is also important. Despite their compensation request, there was no way the Giants were going to trade Beckham. Now, with a restructured backfield, the offense will have balance. While Beckham is just one guy, his numbers of 313 receptions for 4424 yards and 38 touchdowns suggest how dangerous he is.
Gettleman did his job by drafting Saquon Barkley, now it’s up to Odell Beckham to prove him right.
[BXReporter]
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
