The New York Giants are moving toward a roster trim that could leave Odell Beckham Jr. on the outside looking in. After Saturday’s second preseason game against the Miami Dolphins, the former star receiver dropped a touchdown pass in a moment that hung over a strong overall outing and made his place on the opening 53 harder to justify.
That cutdown has to happen by Sunday, and the Giants still have one more preseason date with the New York Jets on Friday before they decide. The projected wide receiver group already includes Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney, Malachi Fields, Calvin Austin III and Braxton Berrios, which leaves little room for anyone else when the roster goes from 90 players to 53.
Beckham had shown enough in camp to keep the conversation alive. He made a couple Dolphins defensive backs look silly in one-on-ones, and on his first reception Saturday he showed the wiggle after the catch that has always made him difficult to handle. But the drop came on a play that should have been six points, and that is the kind of mistake a player fighting for a spot cannot make.
The Giants’ receiver math is tight enough that one missed chance can matter more than a run of good practices. The projected cut list at the position includes Beckham, Isaiah Hodgins, Beaux Collins, Dalen Cambre, Jalin Hyatt, Xavier Gipson and Ryan Miller, while Gunner Olszewski is already out on injured reserve. That leaves the club weighing whether to keep six wide receivers or use the final spot on another position group.
That calculation has been building through practices, two preseason games and a joint session with the Miami Dolphins, and it is not limited to the receiver room. Jake Haener was added after the first preseason game, a reminder that the roster is still being shaped piece by piece as the Giants get closer to the deadline. By Sunday, the club will have to turn all of that into a final answer, and Beckham’s night in Miami may be the detail that pushes him off the list.
