The Giants made the trade of the off-season yesterday when they agreed to send Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns.
And yes, it is a blockbuster deal as the Browns sent a first-round pick—the 17th overall—and a third-round pick—the 95th overall—from this year’s draft, along with safety Jabrill Peppers —who was a first round pick just two years ago, going 25th overall in the 2017 draft.
But it cannot be a surprise as—even though the deal comes less than a year after he signed a massive contract with the team—he never performed at the level the team expected or at least hoped he would after signing the five-year mega-deal worth up to $98.5-million last August.
It made him the highest-paid receiver in the NFL at the time and seemed to cement his place on the Giants' roster.
Instead, the 26-year-old Beckham is now is reunited with his former LSU teammate Jarvis Landry.
Funny story, OBJ told ESPN yesterday that Landry had called him and said that Cleveland GM John Dorsey and coach Freddie Kitchens wanted him badly—right before Giants GM Dave Gettleman called him and said,"I am trading you to the Browns."
The Giants weren't shopping Beckham this off-season. But they were willing to listen to offers, and there were teams that were interested in his services. Among them were the Browns and San Francisco 49ers, according to sources.
Cleveland, meanwhile, makes another big move as it looks to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2002.
Source: ESPN
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