10 NFL stars who must be extended this preseason
By Ian Wharton
Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants
Another high-profile playmaker looking to break the current pay structure in place is New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Beckham is undoubtedly explosive and is comfortably a top-five receiver in the NFL. Paying him in the same price range as Antonio Brown shouldn’t scare the Giants away, but a $20 million-a-year demand understandably may.
There are ways to manipulate the true value of a deal, of course. Beckham’s currently on a one-year, $8.5 million deal, and rolling that figure into a new deal lowers what appears to be the average value per year. But that’s not what this article has done so far for others, instead just looking at new money.
The difference is seeing a five-year, $100 million extension versus a six-year, $108.5 million deal. The latter has an average of $18 million a year, which is a solid increase over Brown, but it also accomplishes Beckham’s goal of getting to $20 million-a-year depending on how it’s framed.
The three-time Pro Bowler is truly one of the best football players on the planet, and is certainly worth the investment. The Giants have future flexibility and have faired dramatically better with him on the field despite detractors believing he’s a negative influence.
Proposed contract extension: Five years, $100 million, $44 million guaranteed.