What legacy does Odell Beckham Jr. have as a Giant?

The dust has settled on the Odell Beckham Jr. trade to the Cleveland Browns but there is still so much to talk about.  What drove OBJ out of New York?  Why did the Giants sign him to an extension when they had an inkling that he wouldn’t be with them for much longer?

Regardless of how you feel about Beckham, his legacy as a Giant is murky as best.  There’s this catch;

But then there’s also this;

Those two videos pretty much encapsulate Odell Beckham Jr. both as a person and a player.  He is supremely talented and one of the best wide receivers in the game.  He is also a very polarizing person and some of his antics rub people the wrong way.  That being said, what kind of legacy does he leave now that he’s no longer on the Giants?

Well it’s hard to determine due to his polarizing nature.  Giants fans will remember him for his unbelievable catches, his incredible speed and his determination to win at all costs.  They’ll also remember him for his disgust on the sidelines when his team wasn’t doing well, his disappearing act in the playoffs, and his problem with dropping balls.

His legacy will probably fall somewhere along the line of both fan favorite and locker room menace.  The comparison I’ve heard from some people (mostly on WFAN) is Lawrence Taylor.  Let’s get three things straight about the comparison between Odell Beckham Jr. and Lawrence Taylor;

• Lawrence Taylor is a top three defensive player EVER.  He is the greatest Giant in team history and he may as well be the best defensive player of all time.  He was so good that opposing teams had to game plan against JUST him.  Odell Beckham Jr. is a top three wide receiver currently, but he had nowhere near the impact Taylor had.
• Taylor won two Super Bowls.  Whether or not you agree that the ’86 Giants and ’90 Giants were much better teams than any team Beckham has been on, OBJ still hasn’t won anything.  When you are a first ballot Hall of Famer and have two Super Bowls to boot, your legacy is carried a little differently.
• Although  OBJ has his own demons and was a menace in the locker room, he doesn’t hold a candle to LT’s legal troubles.  OBJ is a locker room menace, not a criminal or chronic abuser.  Although LT has cleaned up recently, he had a well known drug problem on and off the field, and has gotten in to much more legal trouble as well.  OBJ may not be the best teammate, but he shouldn’t be compared to be nearly as disruptive in his life as LT was.

Overall, Odell Beckham Jr. will be remembered on the Giants as one of the most dynamic receivers in the game and a pleasure to watch.  Giants fans should also know that part of the reason why he’s gone is because of his legacy.  Once again, his polarizing personality and antics make it hard to define just what kind of impression he’s left on Giants fans.  Onward and upward.