Odell Beckham’s favorite rookie running back can save Giants’ run game

Giants fans are hungering to see The Kid, and Odell Beckham Jr. is whetting their appetites.

“He’s going to be special,” Beckham told The Post. “I know that for sure. I’ve seen it, I can tell the way he makes his cuts, how he comes to practice, he’s one of the first ones out on the field. He enjoys it, he loves football. Once he gets his opportunity … you know it’s tough, you got some great backs in that room, so it’s hard, he’s a rookie, and you know how the game goes.”

Except the Giants are coming off the bye to play the Eagles and are desperate for someone to spark the league’s worst rushing attack (70.3 yards per game).

Paul Perkins is that someone.

“He’s smooth … he is smooth,” Beckham said. “He was the one that I wanted to see in preseason. You could see little glimpses of it, like the Vikings game, when he burst out. I know what he’s capable of. He’s going to be special.”

As Beckham was talking about him, Perkins stopped on his way out of the locker room to eavesdrop.

“And he’s quite the character,” Beckham said, and smiled.

When Perkins exited laughing, I asked Beckham to elaborate on what he meant by smooth.

“He sees the hole, he hits the hole, but it doesn’t look forced, it looks effortless. And for someone that age, you don’t see that that much, coming in here, transitioning. It looks very natural for him.”

Perkins, who was drafted out of UCLA in the fifth round, can name each of the running backs whose names were called before his.

“If you give him an inch,” Jay Bromley said, “he’ll take a mile.”

The Kid is ready to take that chip on his shoulder a mile when his number is called.

“Whenever stuff like that happens, any adversity happens, you should always play with a chip or some type of motivation to get you through,” Perkins said.

His 67-yard catch-and-run on a screen pass against the Vikings titillated Giants fans, teammates and coaches.

“When you see him run, or you see him do football activities, he looks very polished,” Victor Cruz said. “He looks like a running back that’s played in the league for five, six years already. You just want to continue to have him grow, and give him the ball in spots where he can be himself and be creative and take the football and make something happen. But I like what I see from Perk, I think he’s grown in this organization a bunch so far.”

Perkins, who is 5-foot-10 and 208 pounds with massive thighs, has 39 yards on 10 carries and earned a season-high 15 snaps against the Rams. He reminds former Dolphin Olivier Vernon of Jay Ajayi.

“He can be powerful and elusive at the same time,” Vernon said. “He’s not small, but he’s not big, but he’s powerful, and he could break the big tackles, from what I’ve seen.”

Eli Apple was Perkins’ roommate in training camp.

“Any time he touches the ball, I get excited, I’m thinking it’s going to go for a big gain at least,” Apple said.

Perkins said he liked Jamaal Charles coming out of college.

“He had tremendous cutting ability, great vision, he had good speed also, so that’s who I try to model myself after,” Perkins said.

Offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan notes the progress Perkins has made in pass protection for Eli Manning.

“He’s certainly someone that we’re excited about moving forward,” Sullivan said.

“He’s got the big sombrero in terms of the adjustments and how Eli can change the protection. If a guy can’t do that and he can do the other things, that’s going to limit the opportunities.

“He’s shown some progress and some versatility in being able to run it, catch it and a primary for us to protect the quarterback.”

Perkins credits the running backs room led by Rashad Jennings with helping him.

“I feel like I’m starting to understand the offense,” he said. “I’m feeling confident about this game.”

What kind of running back would you tell Giants fans you are?

“Try to be as explosive as possible,” he said. “Try to make the crowd … give something to cheer about.”

Unleash The Kid. It’s time.

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Why Odell Beckham, Dez Bryant cherished their Giants-Cowboys pregame catch

The Giants' 20-19 victory over the Cowboys on Sunday ended in rather unusual fashion. There was also a unique sight before the game.

Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and Cowboys wideout Dez Bryant played catch before the game. And Beckham, who called Bryant "like a brother to me," said they would not have had it any other way, even though their teams are fierce NFC East rivals.  

"Tomorrow's never promised, so we get out there, get to play a little catch, just mess around," Beckham said after the game in Arlington, Texas. "It's great to do that with one of the best receivers."

Beckham called Bryant a fellow "Scorpio boy," noting their birthdays are a day apart. Bryant, 27, was born on Nov. 4, 1988; Beckham, 23, was born on Nov. 5, 1992.

"He's like a brother to me," Beckham said. "We're very similar in a lot of ways. We've had a closer bond since last season going into the offseason. So to be able to get out there ... we thank God all the time for being able to play the game that we love. And to love it so much, and the opportunities that we have in front of us."

Beckham finished the game with four catches for 73 yards. Bryant could not get much going, though, against Giants cornerback Janoris Jenkins, finishing with just one grab for eight yards in the loss. Bryant did have a touchdown catch called back after a replay deemed it an incomplete pass.

Odell Beckham Jr moves into fashion

US luxury department store Bloomingdale's is partnering with National Football League (NFL) player Odell Beckham Jr on a sportswear line.  

The line, called ‘13 x twenty’, will be produced by knitwear brand Twenty Tees and is set to be released in September. 

The New York Giants wide receiver is following a host of NFL stars, such as JJ Watt, Kam Chancellor and Jared Allen, to have his own fashion brand.

Beckham Jr was the 12th pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. The 23 year old was named 2015 Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press.

Here is Odell Beckham Jr. crushing softball home runs Happy Gilmore style

Odell Beckham Jr. might just be the most versatile athlete in the world. We know he can catch footballs in just about every way imaginable. We know he can effortlessly make field goals. We know he can throw down genuinely cool dunks. We even know he can throw a football into a hoop from way up in the stands.

Now we know he could also be a home run derby champion.

We will admit that technique doesn't look 100 percent MLB legal. But, we're willing to let it slide thanks to the Jose Bautista-style bat flip.

I would legitimately watch a show that was just Beckham attempting a bunch of random sports and being awesome at them.

Odell Beckham Jr. : "I really only care about winning"

After two incredible seasons have we seen the best of Odell Beckham Jr.? Or, is there more to come? Let's talk about Beckham as we continue to profile the 90-man roster the New York Giants will bring to training camp later this summer.

2015 Season in Review

How do you follow the greatest 12-game stretch by a rookie wide receiver in NFL history? A stretch that saw you land on the cover of "Madden" and become a world-wide celebrity? Well, Beckham followed his incredible 2014 rookie season with a 2015 sophomore year that wasn't quite as spectacular but was still, well, pretty spectacular in its own right.

In 15 games, he caught 96 passes for 1,450 yards (15.1 yards per catch) with 13 touchdowns. Only seven receivers in the NFL caught more passes, only four accumulated more receiving yards, only two surpassed Beckham's 96.7 receiving yards per game and only three scored more touchdowns. Beckham was named to his second Pro Bowl in as many seasons.

There was also, of course, the unfortunate events of the game against Josh Norman and the Carolina Panthers and the resulting one-game suspension. That was the only stain on a season during which Beckham showed without any doubt that he is among the game's best players.

2016 Season Outlook

What does Beckham do now? Well, quarterback Eli Manning would like to see him get even better.

"Odell has obviously done great things, but we need him to raise his level as well," Manning said during a conference call at the beginning of the offseason program. "There’s things he can work on, and we ask a lot of him. We move him around in a lot of different spots, and he’s required to know a lot of different routes and different techniques, and exactly how to do it. That’s the way he’s going to get a lot of balls and we’re going to put him in position to do a lot of good things."

Beckham's reaction to that?

"I’m ready. I have goals in mind. There are a lot of banners that aren’t here that need to be in here. That’s something that I look at every day. There’s nothing that really crosses my mind more than putting a fifth banner here, saying 2016 Super Bowl Champions," Beckham said. "Your name will be here forever and it’s something you'll be able to take with you for a lifetime. There’s nothing more that’s on my mind than winning a Super Bowl.

"I really only care about winning."

After two incredible seasons to begin his career, can he actually get better as a player?

"You can do everything. I feel like nothing's ever finished," Beckham said. "Whether it's routes, the releases of the routes, make sure you get your depth, all the little things. You have a 12-yard route you need to get 12 yards, but in the game the time clock sped up and you broke it off at 10 and now a ball's going to where it should be at 12 yards and you're at 10. There's nobody else to blame but you.

"I told Eli every single day completion rating 99.9 percent. There's nothing that should hit the ground, there's no reason that it should hit the ground. No ball should be incomplete, whether it's practice, a game, a mental rep, none of 'em should hit the ground."

You have to love Beckham's attitude, his recognition he can always strive to be better. That is one of the things that has him on a path to becoming one of the best players in franchise history.

The question really isn't what the Giants will get from Beckham. It is can they get enough from Victor Cruz, Sterling Shepard, Dwayne Harris and the young group of tight ends to take some of the heat off their best player?

Adam Henry excited to coach all Giants receivers, not just Odell Beckham

When the Giants hired Adam Henry as their new wide receivers coach in January, a line on his resume naturally received a great deal of attention.

Henry came to the Giants after a year coaching receivers with the 49ers. But before he arrived in San Francisco, Henry was LSU's receivers coach from 2011-14. One of his top pupils during his time in Baton Rouge? Giants wideout Odell Beckham Jr., of course.

Beckham and Henry have a strong player-coach relationship, Henry said. But the new assistant also made it clear he is coming to the Giants to coach all their receivers, not just their rising superstar.

Henry has not met with any of his new charges yet - players don't arrive for the start of the offseason program until April 11 - but he has been watching film on all of them, cutting up tape that highlights their strengths and weaknesses. Once they arrive, the work will begin. 

"I don't look at the big picture. I'm kind of a day-to-day guy, with a goal at the end of the week," Henry said. "And when you get to the open week, you look back and see what's going on. I never look ahead. I always look at the things we have to attack today.

"When you're building relationships, and as that goes to getting better, it covers all facets of that, with each and every player. My job is to coach the receivers and get them to play. ... Last year was last year."

And Beckham's much-discussed meltdown against Josh Norman and the Panthers seems to be staying just there - in last year. The Giants, from head coach Ben McAdoo to quarterback Eli Manning to Beckham, have made it clear they believe that instance will not repeat itself. They are moving forward.

"He's always had some emotion. He's always played with a lot of desire. He loves to play the game. He loves it," Henry said. "I see that as a player. But again, we just need to continue to get better at what we're doing.

"I've been away from him a couple of years, and now we've got to come back together, get on the same page and progress. ... Any way I can help him, I will help him. I'm here for him. I can help in anyway possible. Once I coach you, I coach you for life."

Odell Beckham Jr. to make acting debut in ‘Code Black’ on CBS

Beau Bridges plays Pete Delaney, Odell Beckham Jr.’s high school football coach in an upcoming episode of 'Code Black.'

On Feb. 10, the Wednesday after Super Bowl 50, the Giants' superstar receiver will embark on a second career as an actor. Beckham will make a guest appearance on the CBS medical drama "Code Black," starring alongside Emmy Award winner Beau Bridges, the network announced Tuesday morning.

Beckham won't exactly have to get into character in his first-ever guest starring role on a TV show, though. The receiver will play himself. Following a charity luncheon where he's honored, Beckham will learn that Pete Delaney, his high school football coach in the show, played by Bridges, is battling severe abdominal pain. Delaney will wind up at Angels Memorial Hospital and Beckham will help convince him to have surgery.

NEW GIANTS COACH PROMISES NO MORE BECKHAM MELTDOWNS

Odell Beckham Jr. guest stars alongside Luis Guzman on CBS' 'Code Black.'

Beckham will also appear in a TV ad during the Super Bowl 50, alongside actress and model Emily Ratajkowski. It's an ad for Buick's all-new line of Cascada luxury convertible, a 30-second spot during the NFL's championship game. Ratajkowski is best known for her starring role in the critically acclaimed film "Gone Girl."

So a leap to TV kicks of Beckham's second offseason, after he spent his first offseason piling up one commercial endorsement after another. Last spring, on the heels of his dominant rookie season, Beckham emerged as a pitchman for everything from Head and Shoulders to Lenovo, and he seems intent on growing his brand even further this spring.

Before all that, of course, Beckham will play one more football game, suiting up for Sunday's Pro Bowl in Hawaii. The Pro Bowl is the NFL's "all-star showcase," although it will be lacking in some star power beyond Beckham; several marquee players, includingstar quarterbacks Tom Brady, Carson Palmer, Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers, have already withdrawn from the game due to injury.

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STARS IN THEIR EYES

Leave it to the Patriots to help the Giants gain postseason props. On Tuesday, corner Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and kicker Josh Brown were added to Sunday's Pro Bowl all-star game, replacing a pair of injured New England players, corner Malcolm Butler and kicker Stephen Gostkowski.

Rodgers-Cromartie made 58 tackles and three interceptions in 2015. Brown made 30-of-32 field goals. This is Brown's first Pro Bowl nod. The Giants now have four Pro Bowlers this season, in part because top stars continue to pull out from the NFL's attempt at an all-star game.