No, I’m not going to break down three different trade destinations New York Giants star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. could end up going at the end of the 2019 free agency period. In fact, I will be breaking down the exact opposite, why potential trades for the esteemed wide-out are all smoke and mirrors.
Good general managers know how to utilize the media to their advantage – pushing specific narratives to cover up their plans and pull teams away from their intended targets. Beckham Jr. is just one of those players that will always show up on your news feed for one reason or the next.
Trading Beckham simply doesn’t make sense, and if you don’t believe me, maybe Gettleman’s quote “we didn’t sign up to trade him,” will convince you of the truth.
The New York Giants aren’t foolish to entertain a potential deal including Odell Beckham Jr.:
If teams are willing to part with significant draft capital to secure a player, why not listen? At the end of the day, the NFL is a business and every player is for sale.
This idea doesn’t imply the Giants are shopping Beckham but rather letting teams come to them with trade details and listening. It’s a harmless method of negotiation. It doesn’t mean they will agree, and laughing the Browns away after a recent offer attests to that.
Trading OBJ away only hurts the team:
Not only would OBJ leaving be detrimental to the offense, but it also would affect the locker room and the continuity of the team. If the Giants were smart, they would utilize the illustrious receiver until he begins to see a decline. It’s all about timing with trades and grabbing the most value from a team that feels they can use talent in the short-term.
Beckham has racked up more than 1,000 yards in four of five seasons, the odd one out is the year he broke his ankle. His catch-rate has hovered around 60%, which is solid for a receiver dealing with Eli Manning and a terrible offensive line. The Giants have made it their mission to improve Manning’s protection in 2019, which should allow them to feed Beckham the ball more efficiently. The QB-WR duo haven’t enjoyed a good offensive line since before Beckham was even in the league, so the season ahead could be his best one yet.