Rueben Randle’s days in New York could be numbered

After three mediocre seasons with the New York Giants, Rueben Randle could be on the way out of New York sooner rather than later.

Originally considered a steal when the Giants drafted Randle in the second round of the 2012 draft, the former LSU Tiger has failed to live up to the hype that surrounds a second-round player. Randle’s play has been synonymous with inconsistency, and it’s starting to frustrate a lot of people within the Giants organization. Randle drops far too many passes and is lacking chemistry with Eli Manning. At times, it seems as if Randle doesn’t care about the Giants, as he often lacks the passion that most of his teammates have.

Randle is just one piece of the disappointing 2012 Giants draft class which consisted of David Wilson (retired due to injuries), Jayron Hosley, Adrien Robinson, Brandon Mosley and Matt McCants.

This season has been disappointing for Randle, and his character issues are starting to get exposed.

During Sunday’s game against Washington, Randle did not start and he was benched for the entire first quarter for the second time in three weeks, according to the New York Daily News. The first time Randle was benched was against the Jacksonville Jaguars because he was late to a team meeting. The reason why Randle was benched against Washington was rather mum. Head coach Tom Coughlin said: “That’s (the reason) between Rueben and I.”

Eli Manning, who usually does’t say anything out of the ordinary, had some negative things to say about his head-case of a wide receiver. “You don’t like to see your starting receiver get in trouble,” Manning said. “It kind of throws off the rhythm of things.” A devoid of rhythm with Eli Manning is all too familiar.

Randle was given a golden opportunity this year, as the 6-foot-2 receiver was given the chance to fill the void left by the departing Hakeem Nicks. However, Randle has failed to seize the moment. This year, Randle has 59 receptions for 648 yards and a career low 2 touchdowns. Randle has the tools, but he has yet to develop into a legitimate number one wide receiver. He is much better suited as the third option.

Last year, when Manning threw 27 interceptions, a handful of those picks were the outcome of Randle running the wrong route. With Randle’s college teammate Odell Beckham Jr. thriving in New York, Randle’s value to the Giants is dwindling down. With every catch Beckham makes, Randle becomes more expendable. Beckham’s presence has almost cast a shadow on Randle’s career, as most people probably view Randle as “the other Giants receiver.”

It won’t get any easier for Randle next year, as Victor Cruz will return to the fold. Cruz and Beckham are probably the two most popular Giants at the moment, which leaves Randle as the odd man out.

However, Randle is still only 23, so it could be a little too early to pull the plug on his Giants career. He has shown flashes of his potential, but if he wants to remain with the team after his rookie contract expires, the petulance and the inconsistency need to stop.

If Randle’s issues continue, don’t be surprised to see the Giants move on. They let go of Hakeem Nicks when his production dropped, and they let go of ultra-talented safety Will Hill when they couldn’t trust him.

It’s time for Randle to step up.