New York Giants: Enough Already With The Kicking Net, Odell Beckham Jr. (Video) 1
Oct 16, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham (13) after scoring a 3rd quarter touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Watch out, Victor Cruz. Odell Beckham Jr. will be taking aim at your New York Giants single-season receiving record this coming season.

Odell Beckham Jr. already owns two of the top three single season receiving yard totals in New York Giants history and three of the top five. The addition of Marshall sets Bekham up to take the top spot as well.

Here’s a look at the top five Giants receiving seasons of all time. It’s not hard to imagine OBJ rising to the top of this list next season with a legitimate number two receiver lined up on the opposite side of the field.

Rk Player Year Tgt Rec Yds Y/R TD Y/G
1 Victor Cruz 2011 131 82 1536 18.7 9 96
2 Odell Beckham 2015* 158 96 1450 15.1 13 96.7
3 Odell Beckham 2016* 169 101 1367 13.5 10 85.4
4 Amani Toomer 2002 134 82 1343 16.4 8 83.9
5 Odell Beckham 2014* 130 91 1305 14.3 12 108.8

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Adam Schefter reported today that Brandon Marshall and the New York Giants have agreed on a two year, $12 million dollar deal that will bring the former Bear and Jet to Big Blue for the 2017 season.

The Jets released Marshall, their top receiver earlier this offseason, and it didn’t take long for new suitors to come along.  Speculation about his eventual landing place was varied but Giants fans were secretly optimistic that the star receiver would stay close to home. Now it appears as if the Jets loss will be a Giant gain.

The move from from the Jets to the Giants is a dramatic football change for Marshall but it also allows him to keep some non-football things the same. Marshall will continue to play his home games at MetLife Stadium. He will also remain in the New York media market where his brand has been really growing over the past two years. Finally, it will allow him to continue his weekly appearance on Showtime’s “Inside the NFL.”

Big Blue Receiving Crew

The Marshall signing is good news for Giants fans, Ben McAdoo and Eli Manning. It is, however, the best possible thing that could have happened to Odell Beckham Jr. After accumulating over 4,100 yards in three seasons as the Giants lone receiving threat, OBJ will now have a running mate that opposing defenses have to respect.

Marshall has been great over the past two seasons for the Jets, catching 168 balls for 2,290 yards. He was better in 2015 with Eric Decker on the opposite side than he was in 2016 with no real supporting cast. His decision to move to the Giants where he’ll join OBJ and Sterling Shepard as perhaps the best number two receiver in the game is ingenious .

Dec 5, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall (15) catches a pass during the pre-game warmups for a game against the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

Keeping the Window Open

The move to bring in Marshall appears to be an attempt by Jerry Reese to give Eli Manning a full compliment of weapons heading into the final few seasons of his Hall of Fame career. Losing Victor Cruz and replacing him with Brandon Marshall is a big time upgrade for the Giants offense.

Dec 11, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) throws in the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Free agency officially begins on Thursday and the draft also on the horizon, Reese’s focus will now shift to upgrading the offensive line and perhaps the tight end position.

The pairing of Brandon Marshall and Odell Beckham Jr. makes the Giants an offense to fear in 2017. It also makes a record setting season for OBJ a real possibility.

I've wanted to write about sports since the first time I read Mike Lupica of the NY Daily News rip George Steinbrenner about the Boss' treatment of Dave Winfield. The Pen truly is mightier than the sword. I still look forward to reading the sports section in the paper every morning. Writing about sports, even in a part time capacity is a dream come true.