New York Giants: Evan Engram facing make or break season

With Odell Beckham Jr. gone, New York Giants tight end Evan Engram needs to perform more consistently and at a higher level.

For a piece published on April 3, Dan Salomone of the official New York Giants website wrote about how tight end Evan Engram should expect an increased role in the team’s offense following the controversial and polarizing trade of superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns. Not seeing Beckham in the huddle or on the field is nothing new for Engram, as the dynamic playmaker missed 16 of New York’s last 32 regular season contests due to injury.

Engram couldn’t evade the injury bug last fall. A pair of physical setbacks cost him five games, in total, and one could’ve questioned his effectiveness when on the field. In 11 outings, Engram reeled-in 45 of 64 targets.

Statistically speaking, he wasn’t in the top ten among tight ends by any measure. Depending on the source, the 24-year old guilty of multiple costly drops his rookie season let either two or three catchable balls hit the turf in 2018.

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Beckham’s absence won’t turn Engram into the next Rob Gronkowski overnight. Quarterback Eli Manning quickly grew comfortable searching for running back Saquon Barkley on a variety of routes in 2018, and it’s expected the 22-year old will become the focal point of the offense and face of the franchise. We’re already witnessing evidence of this, per Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com, as Barkley is scheduled to replace Beckham running a New Jersey football camp.

For Engram, the emphasis won’t be looking for additional targets, which he should see, as much as making the most out of those that come his way during pivotal moments. Odds are Giants fans remember when he let a pass go straight through his hands on a fourth-and-three during the fourth quarter of an October showdown with division rivals the Washington Redskins. Unfortunately, such miscues stand out on his resume and in highlights of his first two years in the NFL.

It goes without saying Manning will look to distribute the ball differently among the likes of Barkley, Engram, wide receiver Sterling Shepard and others without Beckham in the lineup. Engram will need to step his production up, but not just so that the two-time Super Bowl MVP doesn’t go elsewhere when he needs to complete a pass to move the chains. As much as some fans may not want to realize it, Engram is playing for his future spot on the roster and with the organization.

Without directly announcing their intentions, general manager Dave Gettleman and team ownership have jettisoned just about everything related to the Jerry Reese era from the club. From free agent acquisitions such as Damon Harrison and Olivier Vernon to draft picks like Eli Apple, Landon Collins and, most notably, Beckham, essentially nobody has been safe.

Shepard may find himself next on the chopping block if the Giants stumble out of the gates in September and early October.

Engram could also be a hot commodity regardless of how well or poorly he performs over the first six weeks of the upcoming campaign. Granted, he’s more of a wide receiver than a tight end in stature and style, but that’s hardly a problem in the modern NFL. He’ll turn 25 years old in September. His rookie deal goes through the 2020 season.

A general manager could easily justify any struggles related to Engram’s play could be blamed on Manning’s diminishing skills, and that such a work in progress would be worth a moderate investment.

The best tight ends in the business are often bargains. The Kansas City Chiefs grabbed Travis Kelce in the third round. Gronk was a second-round pick. Antonio Gates, one of the greatest to ever do it, went undrafted. Big Blue took Engram in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He needs to become a Pro-Bowl-caliber player to reach that value. Failing to do so by the trade deadline could add his name to the team’s fire sale of assets not signed or selected by the reigning regime.