Move over, Mets and Yankees!
The Giants and Jets can be The Boys of Summer.
Sure, the Yankees will be in a heated pennant race with the Red Sox for the top spot in the AL East, while the Mets will be selling off pieces and trying to figure out what to do next year.
Pass the torch to the football fields.
The Giants sparked the first flame Wednesday when co-owner John Mara began the Odell Beckham Jr. contract dilemma when he stated that the team would be speaking with Beckham’s agent soon, and that he wants Beckham to “be a Giant for a long time.”
Now, it will start to get interesting.
Sources around Giants’ camp have a potential contract in the range of $15 to $17 million, which would place Beckham among the current highest paid receivers. He won’t get his $20 million asking price.
So far, Beckham has been the good soldier, and he apparently has developed a good relationship with new boss Pat Shurmur.
Mara sounds like he wants to get the deal done soon, and let the team begin to cement a new identity.
The team’s first preseason game Aug. 9 likely will be a good barometer on how this will play itself out.
The further it lingers, the testier it could become. New GM Dave Gettleman has re-energized the Giants’ offense with his restructure of the offensive line and resurrecting of a dead running game with the signing of veteran Jonathan Stewart and the drafting of rookie wunderkind Saqoun Barkley.
The recent acquisition of Conner Barwin adds more spice to the linebacking corps in their new 3-4 alignment.
This is a team designed to win now, and it can with Beckham satisfied sooner than later.
It will be interesting to watch the next few weeks.
As for the Jets, head coach Todd Bowles –like Shurmur – has been given a stockpile of new players.
If cornerback Trumaine Johnson plays to his potential and defensive end Leonard Williams becomes the pass rusher they anticipate he can be along with some other developments (mainly linebacker Darron Lee), this defense can be very nasty.
The early dilemma there is the signing of top pick quarterback Sam Darnold, who Bowles envisions as a likely starter in September.
However, that situation looks more like a formality than Beckham’s.
Bowles understands he is under the gun this season to produce and unite, and he began his camp preaching about “competition and chemistry.” With Darnold in the fold soon, Bowles knows his team must jell over the next month and they must reach their potential.
It will be a camp with the quarterback competition in high profile as well as those at running back, receiver, and linebacker.
There will be the dog days for these two teams soon.
Those that will solve solutions and answer questions.
Soon enough then, the Boys of Summer will be gone.