2018 NFL Draft: Odell Beckham Jr. trade could benefit 3 different teams
Odell Beckham hasn’t been traded yet, but that could change on draft day, and here’s how a trade could benefit three teams in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Odell Beckham Jr. is still rehabbing from a broken ankle, so his offseason work with the New York Giants will be limited. But it’s almost certain he’ll be back and as good as ever for the 2018 season. As he continues to rehab, the prospect of him being getting paid or holding out must be taking its toll on Giants management and fans alike.
The OBJ saga has been an interesting one, to say the least, but nothing has come to fruition as it pertains to rumors about him being traded. However, that could change and it should. It would be in the best interest of the Giants long term, but also in the best interest of two other NFL teams: the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns.
Here’s how all three teams could benefit from such a trade.
Giants and Browns make a deal, both get quarterbacks
I recently suggested that the Giants and Browns should make a deal for Beckham. In that scenario, the Giants would acquire the Browns’ No. 4 overall pick, a third-rounder, and Corey Coleman for OBJ. However, the benefit of the Giants acquiring the No. 4 overall pick in addition to having the No. 2 overall pick is the options it opens up for them.
By having the No. 2 overall pick, the Giants would likely select one of the two top quarterbacks (Sam Darnold or Josh Rosen) left over after the Browns select the other at No. 1 overall. After the Giants pick will be the New York Jets, who moved up to the No. 3 spot by trading with the Colts, all but guaranteeing they’ll select a QB as well.
Bills can move up to select a quarterback
After three-straight selections came up as quarterbacks the Buffalo Bills would be in a tough spot, but they have ammunition. Thanks to a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals that involved Cordy Glenn and swapping picks, the Bills currently have the Nos. 12 and 22 overall picks. After signing AJ McCarron and making the trade involving Glenn, it was a foregone conclusion that the Bills would be taking a quarterback early in the draft.
In fact, according to Bleacher Report, an NFL general manager believes Bills are “trying like hell” to trade up. The article went on to say that Bills GM Brandon Beane might trade up more than once.
"“Brandon is trying like hell to get up and get a quarterback,” a general manager told Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. “I’m convinced he’ll trade up twice more if he has to. It reminds me of Howie Roseman (Eagles) a few years ago when he was moving up to land Carson Wentz.”"
The only team left to trade with in the top five in order to insure they can get their guy is the Giants, who would hold the No. 4 overall pick after the proposed trade with the Browns for Beckham. Of course, you’ll have to wonder what it would take for the Bills to move up eight spots?
Well, it’s whatever the Giants want — they hold the spot and all the leverage. General manager Dave Gettleman could ask for the Jared Goff deal which included two firsts, two seconds and two thirds, but it shouldn’t take that much. In fact, the Bills would only have to trade their No. 22 in addition to moving eight slots in the draft, at least according to Bleacher Report’s draft value chart.
In return the Bills will be able to get their quarterback and not mortgage their franchise in order to do so.
Why would the Giants want to?
The question is why wouldn’t they? Yes, Odell Beckham Jr. is an amazing player. He’s one of those guys people pay to see. However, wide receiver wouldn’t make the list as the top three most important positions to secure a franchise’s success. Football aficionados have dismissed the notion of trading Beckham due to the idea that the Giants wouldn’t be able to find another perennial Pro Bowl player, but that’s simply not true.
By trading Beckham for something as simple as a the No. 4 overall pick, the Giants could get multiple first-round picks, two in the top five to be exact. What’s more, they could deal one of those picks for multiple first-round selections beyond that.
No matter what, the Giants would have more opportunities to select a franchise-changing player. The Bills are the team to do it, and if the Giants play their cards right, they can end up with two amazing players in the first round.
Next: 2018 NFL Mock Draft: 10 Big trades create chaos
Should an OBJ deal happen, there could be three winners. For the Giants, they’d be a franchise spinning gold into more gold. The Browns would have an elite receiving corps and be ready to make some noise in the AFC North. The Bills would get their franchise quarterback without setting their franchises back.