Giants TE Beckum hopes injuries are behind him
It's a pro football axiom that you can't make the team in the training room, but Giants backup tight end Travis Beckum did just that. An early hamstring injury followed by neck spasms effectively limited the second-year player to just a handful of full practices in training camp and an appearance in the final exhibition, where he caught a 7-yard pass.
Starting tight end Kevin Boss also was bothered by injuries during training camp, to the point where coach Tom Coughlin praised practice team tight end Bear Pascoe for playing most of the snaps during practice. But the coach Monday issued what sounded like a warning to Beckum about his precarious position on the active roster.
Admitting he is concerned about depth, Coughlin said, "What's really important for us is if Beckum can practice and stay out there. That's a big factor right now." Referring to Pascoe and Jake Ballard, Coughlin added, "There are two practice squad tight ends who are just an up-down away."
With Sunday's opener against Carolina approaching, Beckum pronounced himself recovered from the neck injury and ready to go. "It's much better," he said. "The thing about my neck is that my muscles were very tense and kept spasming. That was the worst thing, but it's not even doing that anymore."
About two days into training camp, Beckum was sidelined by a hamstring pull. So, he senses the frustration with his lack of practice time.
"Obviously, to play you need to practice," Beckum said. "The coaches are pushing me to get back, but at the same time, they made sure I was ready. They don't want me to do anything stupid."
As a rookie out of Wisconsin, Beckum played sparingly last season. He caught eight passes for an average gain of 6.9 yards, but he admittedly hasn't become as involved with the passing game and quarterback Eli Manning as he might like.
"I haven't had much chemistry with any of the quarterbacks," Beckum said. "But I've been staying in there mentally with Eli and I'm looking forward to these practices this week and seeing how Sunday goes."
Neither Boss nor Beckum is a heavyweight blocker, so the Giants are likely going to use an extra offensive lineman at tight end when the situation calls for it. Beckum expects to be used in situations where he splits wide or runs pass routes from the slot, which really is the way for him to earn more playing time.
"To perform I've got to be able to run," Beckum said. "I think that's one thing the coaches see in me is that I run. Whether it's blocking or catching the ball, I just need to perform."
