EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., the New York Giants' first-round pick from this year's draft, missed his fourth straight training camp practice Sunday with a hamstring injury. For coach Tom Coughlin, it's not just disappointing.
"It's more than that," Coughlin said after Sunday's practice. "We're trying to put a team together. We saw too much of that in the spring."
Beckham missed several of the team's OTA and minicamp practices due to a hamstring injury. He showed up ready to go when training camp opened last week, but during the first practice of camp Tuesday, he got tangled up with cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and felt a tweak in the hamstring again. He has not practiced since.
Sunday, he fielded some punts in special-teams drills but did not run after he caught the ball. And he has spent some time on a back field the past two practices catching balls off a machine but, again, not running. While the team practices, he stands off to the side, flipping a ball up in the air to himself and talking to coaches and teammates.
"He actually looks pretty good out there moving around," Coughlin said. "We just hope it's a real short period of time."
Coughlin is frustrated with the injury, not with the player himself. He understands the need to protect Beckham's health, especially with six weeks still to go before the regular-season opener.
"We're not going to let him go if he's in danger of hurting himself. That's all there is to it," Coughlin said. "I can stand here and fight all I want. It's not going to matter."
The Giants' first preseason game is next Sunday against the Buffalo Bills in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. They open the season six weeks from Monday against the Lions in Detroit.