If the New York Giants are serious about trading wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., the team will require a trade partner willing to me the asking price.
“Bold prediction.” As Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post wrote, those two words led to The Athletic’s Jay Glazer “predicting” the New York Giants will trade superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. this offseason. Granted, Glazer didn’t report news. He was merely offering advice for what those of you legally able to gamble may want to put some money on as it pertains to potential future NFL transactions.
The reality of the situation hasn’t prevented websites from generating clicks and talk show hosts from filling otherwise empty segments with discussions about trade scenarios involving the 26-year old playmaker.
Are the Giants actually going to move Beckham, the team’s second-best offensive weapon behind running back Saquon Barkley, if the plan is to bring quarterback Eli Manning back for one more season? No, probably not, but that shouldn’t stop anybody from having some fun. If only ESPN had an NFL version of a trade machine…
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The Big Lead’s Ryan Glasspiegel presented five potential trade destinations for such a deal, and each are intriguing even if a couple are improbable for different reasons. What has to be remembered is that the Giants don’t have to do anything with Beckham other than pay him money owed in 2019. No existing trade clause is attached to his contract. It’s also widely believed he prefers the limelight that comes with calling a city such as New York or Los Angeles home.
We’ll begin with the New York Jets if only because it’s the “some men just want to watch the world burn” option.
Just like the New York Mets and Yankees don’t come together for trades, the Giants would need to be blown away by an offer — such as the Jets gifting Sam Darnold to the Big Blue portion of MetLife Stadium — for this to be considered. The Giants taking the Jets’ third-overall 2019 NFL Draft pick probably wouldn’t be enough to stomach watching Darnold and Beckham star for Gang Green over the next several years.
More often than not, the team linked with trading for Beckham is the Cleveland Browns. Baker Mayfield, Cleveland’s latest advertised savior who produced a Rookie of the Year campaign in 2018, worked out with Beckham last summer, and the two were recently spotted enjoying a meal together.
Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry, Beckham’s college teammate, apparently remains close with OBJ. Cleveland is no longer an NFL laughingstock and could even make the playoffs next January. Pushing their chips to the middle of the table to land Beckham could propel the Browns to a division title.
That’s all well and good, but the Browns winning seven games in 2018 could hurt them in trade negotiations. Simply stated, Cleveland’s draft picks don’t hold the same value as those possessed by the Denver Broncos or Miami Dolphins, for example. The Broncos traded for Joe Flacco on Feb. 13, so that franchise clearly isn’t interested in a lengthy rebuild. Meanwhile, the Dolphins could use a star to help sell tickets and also pair with a to-be drafted quarterback, maybe Kyler Murray.
The San Francisco 49ers could make this easy for the Giants with a simple offer: Pick No. 2 for Beckham, and let’s get this done before the draft. Jimmy Garoppolo is coming off a torn ACL and desperately needs a proven No. 1 wide receiver. The Niners could use some positive press to avoid once again being overshadowed by the other California clubs. If the Niners really wanted to make this happen, there are few other teams capable of outbidding them.
To borrow from the great Lee Corso: Not so fast my friend. Per Spotrac, the Indianapolis Colts hold more salary cap space than any other team, meaning the Colts can be a little creative with moves this offseason. Andrew Luck is healthy. Indy’s offensive line is rebuilt and played above expectations last season. Now could be the perfect time for the Colts to shock the world with a blockbuster trade.
Last but certainly not least, let’s not forget the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders currently possess the rights to three, count ’em, three first-round draft picks, assets that should be used to obtain talent and build a younger roster. There’s no telling what Jon Gruden is thinking on any given day, though. Would it really be all that shocking to learn Gruden bought high on Beckham ahead of the franchise’s impending move to Las Vegas?