The line stretched the length of the left field concourse at Clover Stadium on Saturday afternoon as fans strived to relive the magic of a past moment — and hoped for the possibility of more to come. Any question about Odell Beckham Jr.’s enduring popularity among ew York Giants fans was answered by the sea of people lined up to pay $113 for an autograph or photo with the former superstar at Brian Burns’ Celebrity Softball Game in Pomona, N.Y.As Beckham posed and signed for hundreds of admirers, a half dozen reporters lingered to see if he would speak about a potential Giants reunion, which became official on Monday. Meanwhile, current members of the team were on the field participating in a dodgeball game as part of the event, which raised $100,000 for Burns’ Hype 4 Life Foundation for families impacted by autism.Even as fans and reporters kept an eye on the next generation of Giants stars like quarterback Jaxson Dart, running back Cam Skattebo (who celebrated a home run with a backflip on his surgically-repaired ankle) and wide receiver Malik Nabers (who moved gingerly on his surgically-repaired knee), Beckham still demanded attention. That’s the world the Giants re-entered on Monday by signing Beckham seven years after they unceremoniously shipped him to Cleveland.After Beckham finished his two-hour meet-and-greet with fans, he made his way to the field to mingle with Dart, Nabers and other current players. Those players’ endorsement of Beckham has been an essential aspect of this homecoming.In the best case, Beckham can serve as a mentor to the young Giants still learning to navigate the bright lights of New York. Beckham saw it all during his five years in New York, accumulating experiences that can be shared with teammates as they learn how to manage the spotlight.Even in Beckham’s lowest moments during his first stint with the Giants — his ill-advised ESPN interview alongside Lil Wayne, his ill-timed boat trip to Miami before a playoff game and his explosive sideline outbursts — he was liked by teammates. Beckham is charismatic and generally more thoughtful than the perception created by the impulsive or immature decisions that create headlines.Now 33 and more than a decade removed from the one-handed catch that made him an overnight celebrity, Beckham has said all the right things in his many conversations with coach John Harbaugh. His pitch to the Giants has been that he only wants a chance to make the team so he can bring his career full circle. But there’s nothing Beckham can say to change the fact that he’ll immediately be back in the center of attention. That’s not often the case for a player vying to be the fifth or sixth wide receiver on the depth chart. That dynamic is the primary reason why it took the Giants so long to finalize this signing.The Giants first hosted Beckham for a workout on April 20, after weeks of public flirting and an impromptu visit by the receiver to chat with Harbaugh at the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix. Despite all of the mutual appreciation expressed after those interactions, the Giants didn’t sign Beckham. Now, six weeks later with Nabers, Darius Slayton (sports hernia surgery) and Gunner Olszewski (torn Achilles) sidelined, the Giants hosted another workout on Monday morning. That produced the signings of Beckham, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Braxton Berrios.That’s an unusually high-profile trio of signings for June 1, but only one prompted the Giants’ social media accounts to post a highlight mixtape capped by Beckham copying Michael Jordan’s famous “I’m back” announcement. The Giants can be excused for indulging in that moment of nostalgia, but the reality is it’s been a long time since Beckham was the unstoppable force from those clips who routinely caught slants and broke 60-yard touchdowns.Beckham didn’t play in the NFL in 2022 as he recovered from a torn ACL (his second in a 16-month span) or last season when he served a six-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. He tallied 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns while playing for Harbaugh in Baltimore on a one-year, $15 million contract in 2023. That experience led Harbaugh to call Beckham “one of my very favorite people in the world” in March.Beckham signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Dolphins in 2024. He missed the first four games of the season after having another knee surgery and then produced just nine catches in nine games before a mutual parting.Dealing with big personalities is one of Harbaugh’s strengths after 18 years as a CEO head coach, and all parties should enter this alliance with eyes wide open based on their extensive shared history.Contract terms have yet to be reported. That alone is typically a sign the terms will be modest, and it would be unnecessary for the Giants to give Beckham anything more than the minimum, perhaps with incentives added as a goodwill gesture. The limited financial commitment removes any real risk for the team. However, it would be pointless to go through this extended process with the expectation that Beckham will be cut in three months.Still, it’s not clear where Beckham fits in a crowded wide receiver room. Nabers is the unquestioned No. 1 receiver, but there’s uncertainty on when he’ll be ready to return from the torn ACL and meniscus he suffered last October. Signing two established receivers — Beckham and Smith-Schuster — a week before the team breaks for the summer isn’t an encouraging sign for Nabers’ short-term outlook.Slayton is expected to be ready for training camp, and his contract makes him untouchable, even if his role is undetermined. The Giants traded up into the third-round for Malachi Fields, but it’s never advisable to expect much from mid-round rookies. Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III are younger than Beckham, but are similar as cheap fliers on players with past production.Mooney and Austin arrived in New York earlier this offseason with no fanfare. That’s typically the case with players on cheap contracts vying for a role. Beckham’s return will be different, as the scores of fans waiting just to share a moment with him on Saturday illustrated.But the Giants can’t chase memories. They can’t have any illusions that the highlights of the past will be repeated. Like most sequels, Beckham’s second act with the Giants will likely pale in comparison to the original.