The NY Giants parted ways with the highest-paid WR in the NFL when they traded Odell Beckham, Jr. to the Cleveland Browns for the #17 overall pick in the NFL draft, plus a 2019 third-rounder (95th overall) and safety Jabrill Peppers.
The surprise trade came only days after NY Giants general manager Dave Gettleman told the media, “We didn’t sign Odell to trade him.”
Beckham, 26, will become the primary target for Baker Mayfield. The rookie QB came into his own in the second half of the season after the Browns fired head coach Hue Jackson. Beckham will also be reunited with Jarvis Landry. The two wideouts played collegiate ball for the LSU Tigers together.
In 2015, the Giants selected Beckham with the #12 pick overall. Since then, he made three Pro Bowl teams and caught 44 touchdowns in 59 games. In 2018, Beckham caught six touchdowns in 12 games of action with the Giants. He caught 1,052 yards and passed the 1K barrier for the fourth-time in five seasons. He missed 12 games in 2017 with various injuries. In 2015, Beckham had bis best season with 13 touchdowns and 1,450 yards in 15 games.
G-Men Sinking
What happened to the New York Giants? They won a pair of Super Bowls when QB Eli Manning pulled some serious magic out of his helmet. Eli and the G-Men picked off the New England Patriots twice with squeaker wins in Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI. But that was back in 2011.
Over the last two years the Giants offense sputtered despite having the top wideout in the game. An injury-plagued offensive line and an aging Eli manning did not help matters. Even with the addition of Rookie of the Year Saquon Barkley in the backfield could not reverse the Giants fortunes. The Giants finished last season 5-11 during a long year that included numerous blowouts and tantrums from Beckham.
The Giants management decided to punt on Beckham. However, they didn’t exactly get a sweet deal in return. Safety Jabrill Peppers is a former first-round draft pick out of Michigan. He’s a local kid who played for Don Bosco high school in New Jersey. The Giants added a late first-round pick and the #95 pick overall. But will it be enough compensation? Giants fans think not.
As one life-long NY Giants fan lamented on social media, “This is the kind of move you’d expect from the Jets.”
The Giants are in search of a young quarterback. Everyone in the league knows this. The Jets were considering trading down in the draft to give up the #3 overall pick to a team that covets a quarterback. The Giants have two first-round picks they could package to move up in the draft to secure Dwayne Haskins from Ohio State.
Browns Looking Good
The Cleveland Browns went from one of the worst teams in the NFL to the most interesting team in 2019 in a short time. The Dog Pound is barking with glee because they have a new coach, a new running back, and the top receiver in the NFL. They also have legitimate hope for the first time in decades.
The Browns decided to promote a new head coach from within the organization. Mayfield thrived after the Browns fired Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley. Quarterbacks coach Freddie Kitchen got tapped to helm the offense for the remainder of the season. When the season ended, the Browns handed over the head coaching job to Kitchens over interim Gregg Williams. Williams currently is the new New York Jets defensive coordinator.
Meanwhile, the Browns were 40/1 odds to win the Super Bowl in early February. They odds fell to 25/1 with news of the Kareem Hunt signing. However, according to the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas, the Cleveland Browns are currently 14/1 odds to win the Super Bowl. The New York Giants slipped dramatically from 40/1 odds to 80/1 odds.
