On Day 1 of the Giants' offseason, general manager Jerry Reese could not have been more forceful and thought-provoking on three salient issues. Reese addressed the team's most pressing areas with language that couldn't have been clearer.
First, he told temperamental receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to knock off the nonsense and grow up. Beckham had one of his worst games after taking an impromptu trip to Florida on his day off. Beckham expressed his anger over the 38-13 wild-card loss to the Packers and his performance by punching a hole in a wall in the Giants' locker room area.
Next, Reese said underperforming left tackle Ereck Flowers, a problem in pass protection through much of his first two seasons, must start playing up to the level expected of a first-round pick. Reese even left open the possibility of a position change for the slow-footed Flowers, whose inability to deal with speed rushers has been a constant issue.
Last, and certainly not least _ in fact, perhaps the biggest news of the day _ Reese left open the possibility the Giants soon would begin to look at who will succeed Eli Manning.
Let that all sink in a moment ...
Reese spoke privately with Beckham on Monday after an event-filled week in which Beckham and fellow receivers Victor Cruz, Sterling Shepard and Roger Lewis Jr. flew to Florida after the regular-season finale. The four, who were pictured shirtless on a boat in Florida, pranced around Lambeau Field before Sunday's game without shirts in frigid temperatures. They appeared to be answering criticism with an in-your-face statement that they didn't care what anyone thought, although they insisted they were just getting used to the cold.
After Beckham had only four catches for 28 yards and dropped three critical passes, he punched a hole in the wall. The Giants were furious, and Reese said Beckham will be held to account.
"He's a smart guy, but sometimes he doesn't do smart things," Reese. "We all had to grow up at different times in our lives. I think it's time for him to do it now. He's been here three years now."
The Giants often have treated Beckham with kid gloves and have refrained from publicly criticizing him. But the gloves are off now, and Reese has had enough.
"I see a guy who needs to think about some of the things he does," Reese said. "He needs to look in the mirror and be honest with himself. We'll help him with that, but he has to help himself."
It's certainly time for Beckham to grow up, and it's up to him to decide when _ or if. He enters the final year of his rookie contract next season, although the club does have an option on 2018. The Giants need to know if he can be counted on to be a reliable face of the franchise, or whether he's incapable of maturing into a trustworthy teammate.
His talent is unmistakable, and he can be a transcendent player. But if he can't be a consistently positive influence in the locker room, then the Giants ultimately will have to consider parting ways with him.
As for Flowers, he has been durable, but his shoddy pass protection is a glaring problem.
"It's time for him to show the fruits of being a first-round pick," Reese said, adding that the Giants will "evaluate whether that is at left tackle." Translation: It's time to move Flowers to right tackle or guard and upgrade the position.
Flowers didn't help Manning this season, when the franchise quarterback's production dipped noticeably. But Reese took it a step further, saying for the first time that the Giants need to start thinking about life without Eli.
"We always think about every position, but Eli is 36," Reese said. "We have started to think about who is the next quarterback, who is in line. So we'll look into that as we move into the offseason."
If Reese hadn't thrown down the hammer on Beckham, this would have clearly been the biggest takeaway. The mere hint that the Giants would consider a replacement for the first time since Manning became the starter in 2004 can absolutely be classified as major news.
Coach Ben McAdoo suggested Manning still had a lot of football left in him. He said he had plenty of zip on the ball this season and looked particularly sharp against the Packers. But there have been definitive signs of slippage, and the Giants' failure to score more than 19 points in any of their final six games is cause for concern.
A year after Reese himself appeared to be on the hot seat, he responded with a big year of free-agent signings and saw a promising first year from McAdoo.
There is more work to be done, but the GM is very much in charge and speaking the plain truth about three important issues impacting the short-term and long-term future of the franchise. There will be painful truths to be faced on all accounts.
