The biggest news this week in the NFL that the LA Rams signed disgruntled wide receiver, Odell Beckham Jr. This was a very intriguing move when it happened, but now it carries even more significance because of the Robert Woods injury. Matthew Stafford will be the best quarterback that Beckham has played with so far in his NFL career. It may be hard to remember, but Odell was one of, if not the best wide receiver in football when he was with the Giants. He made Eli Manning look good in the very end of Manning’s career. Even though he was on pace to be one of the greatest receivers ever, the Giants felt it was best to trade Odell Beckham to the Cleveland Browns.
Giants Career
Odell Beckham Jr. was drafted with the 12th overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft. He was a star from the word go with the Giants. Everyone remembers the catch he made in the end zone against the Cowboys. In five seasons with the G-Men, Beckham put up video game numbers. He had 390 receptions, 5476 yards, and 44 touchdowns. Those numbers led to excellent per game numbers as well. He averaged 92.8 yards and 6.6 receptions per game with the Giants. Despite only being in New York for 5 seasons, he is second in franchise history in yards, fourth in receptions, and fourth in touchdowns. He would have easily been first in all those categories if he was not traded.
The Lead Up
Many traditional football fans did not like the way Odell Beckham conducted himself. They found his urinating like a dog celebration and saga with the field goal practice net to be a distraction. Personally, I fully disagree with that assessment. Beckham is an extremely passionate player and I believe he was unfairly ridiculed for those moments. Owner John Mara and GM Dave Gettleman felt he was worth a lucrative contract extensions well. He signed a 5 year, $90 million contract in August of 2018.
Even after his new contract, there was trade speculation surrounding the star receiver. Dave Gettleman publicly stated that they did not sign Beckham to a contract to then trade him. Obviously, that was a lie as he was traded to the Browns before the 2019 season.
The Return
When you trade a player like Odell Beckham, you expect to get a haul in return. When the trade was announced, the package seemed underwhelming. The Giants received Jabrill Peppers, a 2019 first round pick, and a 2019 third round pick. Peppers turned into a decent player for the Giants. He became a captain on the defense, but is now out for the season with an injury. They used that first round pick on Dexter Lawrence who is one of the better players on the defense (but that’s not saying much).
In retrospect, the Odell Beckham trade worked out better for the Giants, but I wouldn’t say they won the trade. The return they got was simply not enough for a player of Beckham’s caliber. They either should have tried to get more, or if that was the best offer, maybe they should have held on to the star receiver. If Beckham worked out in Cleveland, Gettleman would look more stupid than he already does.
Final Thoughts
Beckham was an electric player with the Giants. He was the lone bright spot on some putrid teams. Unfortunately, management felt it was time to move on from one of the best receivers in the game who had just signed a new contract. Hopefully Beckham can revitalize his career with the Rams and capture some of the magic he had as a Giant.
-Pete Chatterton (@Pchat12)
Featured image courtesy of Giants Wire.
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