Giants' Travis Beckum Hoping For More Opportunities On Game Day This Season

[Mr. P]

 

While we wait to hear whether the New Meadowlands Stadium will host a game in February 2014, how about a quick word on a player for one of the teams guaranteed to play there dozens of times in the next few years?:

 

There was a time early last season when Travis Beckum appeared to be a developing threat in the Giants’ defense. Each week, his workload seemed to increase and it was getting close to that time of the season when the cold and wind were approaching – the time of the season Jerry Reese had hoped would be Beckum time.

 

That time, to Beckum’s dismay, never came.

 

“I don’t know. Everybody has their reasons,” the Giants’ tight end said the other day when asked if he expected to contribute more during his rookie season. “I just know there’s no reason for me to dwell on what could have happened or what should have happened. It’s all about what I’m going to do this upcoming season.”

 

Beckum hopes the 2010 season will net him much more than the eight catches for 55 yards he grabbed last year. Those numbers are often the sort of totals expected from a rookie, but perhaps not of Beckum, who had five of those receptions combined in Weeks 3-5. The next eight games, however, he was held without a catch and went five straight games (one of which he missed with a groin injury) without having a pass thrown in his direction.

 

According to Beckum, there were limited balls thrown his way during the week as well.

 

“Last year there would be times where I’d go to the line of scrimmage and I’d know what to do but it would be my first time doing it,” he said. “So obviously my reps weren’t there (in practice).”

 

Those reps needed to be earned. Even Beckum understands that much, as he admitted to making a few mental errors last season. One of them was in the blowout loss to the Saints, when he botched a 5-yard in cut on a hot route. Two weeks later, he was the target on a pass that was picked off by Eagles cornerback Asante Samuel on Eli Manning’s first pass of the game. Beckum later admitted he was victimized by an aggressive veteran corner on that play.

 

Lately, though, the mental errors have been scarce for Beckum. And the reps have been plentiful. After Friday’s organized team activities practice, he sat slumped at his locker, exhausted after running plenty of routes down the field. That’s the impact the Giants would like him to have as a slot receiver, “move” tight end (or H-back) and even a wide receiver on the outside.

 

Those are roles he’s starting to feel comfortable playing.

 

“Just me going over and over it, it’s much easier to understand,” Beckum said. “And my confidence level is much higher. I can look at a play and know if the MIKE (middle linebacker) and SAM (strong-side linebacker) come, I’m hot, or being able to read the defense or sight adjust. All of that stuff.”

 

It’s only May. And Beckum has felt the tingle of a promising year once before. But this time, he believes it’s going to happen – and that the opportunities will present themselves.

 

“I think it’s going to be a great season for us and for me as well just because of my knowledge now,” he said. “It’s just so much easier for me to understand the playbook, read the hots and read the defense. I feel so much more crisp.

 

“I picked it up toward the end of last year as far as what I knew, but the reps still didn’t come in the game. It is what it is. I’m just looking forward to getting better, having a great year and us having a great year as well.”

 

http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2010/05/giants_travis_beckum_hoping_fo.html