There's no way, after the absolutely dominant rookie season he enjoyed, that New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. wasn't going to enter the 2015 NFL season without a target on his back. That target likely developed due to his electrifying performances, but it was probably exacerbated by Beckham's brash personality and penchant for trash talk. It's a target that has already created concern amongst members of the Giants franchise. Beckham's fellow wideout, Victor Cruz, believes that during the Giants preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday, the Jaguars were targeting Beckham and "gunning" for a big hit on the talented, if undersized pass catcher.
"I was a little unhappy," Cruz said Tuesday, via Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. "I think some of those DBs were kind of gunning for him. It was just sad to see that go down.
"From the line, you can see it right as you're running your route," Cruz added. "You're running a vertical route and you take a peek at the safety to see where he is before you look at the ball, and you just see him, head down, trying to spear you. I mean you can see that from a mile away."
Beckham finished the game with no receptions despite being targeted five times. Per Cruz, this wasn't from a lack of effort or ability on Beckham's part, but was due largely to the fact that the Jaguars were trying to send a message to the man they call ODB.
"He's a smart kid," said Cruz. "He understands that. It's just unfair. It kind of made me upset a little bit watching that."
Beckham might be smart, but he's also proud and, as evidenced by the picture accompanying this article, he's not going to back down from any of the league's defensive backs. On the play in question, Giants quarterback Eli Manning tossed a ball down the left sideline that outpaced Beckham. Jaguars safety Sergio Brown didn't even look up for the pass, instead making a beeline for Beckham. Beckham, unsurprisingly, took exception.
It's a good trait, this confidence, this brashness, as it allows Beckham to take big shots and keep on coming. But the fearlessness, the feeling of invincibility, is also troublesome. Many a great receiver has been knocked out of the league while still in their prime due to injury complications, many of them connected to concussions.
Still, while Beckham is unlikely to change the way he plays or his overall approach to the game, it likely helps to have a veteran like Cruz there to point him in an, at the very least, better direction.
"I dealt with it a little bit as well and I've spoken with him about it," Cruz said, via Vacchiano. "It's just something that he's just got to deal with and kind of battle through. It's not easy, especially early on in the preseason to go through something like that.
"You've just got to battle through it. You've got to power through it. You've got to kind of expect it every game. There's a difference between coming in and not expecting it and then getting it and then you're surprised. You have to come into the game expecting that's how you're going to be treated, then kind of make your adjustments off that."
