If the New York Giants are Going to Trade Odell Beckham Jr., They Better Have a Plan in Place
In many ways, New York Giants co-owner John Mara has driven the New York Giants fan base nuts recently and so has wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. with his ongoing antics off the field. Mara is sick and tired of being asked about his behavior and opened up the possibility of trading a superstar wide receiver.
Let's think about this for a minute. Isn't the point of having stars players on your roster is to make revenue on merchandise and come to the game to see Beckahm Jr. play? He has been electric ever since being drafted by the New York Giants in 2014 and Beckham Jr. saved Eli Manning's career.
In Beckham's career so far, he has 313 receptions for 4,424 yards and 38 touchdowns. Manning has completed over 60% of his passes for 16,337 yards 110 touchdowns and 57 interceptions since 2014. Before Beckham Jr. arrived, it seemed as if Manning's career was finished. He completed 58.7% of his passes for 3,818 yards 18 touchdowns and 27 touchdowns in 2013.
Manning is 37 years old and the Giants are planning to stick with him for a couple of more seasons. I am okay with that. Beckham Jr. is 25 years old and he is looking to get paid since he will be a free agent after the 2018 season. Beckham Jr. is one of the most talented wide receivers in this generation and possibly ever.
If the New York Giants trade him for just a fourth or a fifth-round pick, then it would be a trade for just the sake of it. In order for the Giants to do something, they must have a plan for it and I'm afraid they aren't going to have one.
If Beckham is traded for nothing, people are going to question the integrity of the organization. The Giants are really saying we love a 37-year old quarterback better than a 25-year old talented receiver. I get that Eli Manning has been great and loyal to the organization, but management is afraid to let him go, but not a player who is very talented despite his behavior issues.
Another player who has had behavioral issues in the NFL was Cleveland Browns wide receiver, Josh Gordon. Gordon has been out of the league for a couple of seasons due to his drugs issues and Beckham Jr. never once had anyone of those problems or got suspended by the league for it.
Mara would look silly if Beckham Jr. is traded because of his off the field issues that haven't been as problematic as Gordon's or even Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell. He has been suspended a couple of times for his issues with violating the league's substances abuse policy.
If the Giants are going to trade Beckham Jr. after all, New York better do this right and they should ask teams like the Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Browns, and Buffalo Bills, who have multiple drafts picks in the early rounds and need help at wide receiver.
The Giants should ask the Colts for the sixth overall pick this season, either the 36th or 37 picks in the second-round this season, a fifth-round pick this season, and a first or second-round pick next season. (Odell Beckham Jr. would be a nice go two receiver for Andrew Luck.)
The Giants should ask the Browns for the fourth overall pick this season, the 35th overall pick in the second-round this season, a fourth-round pick this season, and a first or second-round pick next season. (Jarvis Landry wants the Browns to trade for Odell Beckham Jr., they are still best friends and they were teammates in college at LSU.)
The Giants should ask the Bills for both of their first-round picks, the 56th overall pick in the second-round, and a second or third-round pick next season. (Having Odell Beckham Jr. on the other side of Kelvin Benjamin would be interesting for Buffalo. and they would be a nice 1-2 punch for A.J. McCarron.)
If the Giants do one of those three trades I recommend it will be okay because New York needs to get some extra picks in order to build a better foundation after finishing 3-13 in 2017. If they do something like that but with another team, that is okay too. It can't be a trade that will make everyone scratch their head.