A Giant Trade for Odell

The NFL’s most popular receiver, Odell Beckham Jr. has been sent to a now contending Cleveland Browns to play along with former LSU wideout teammate Jarvis Landry and rookie QB sensation Baker Mayfield.

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Brook Ward

Beckham Jr. frustrated on the Giants’ sideline.

By Joseph Hernandez, Staff Writer

After a horrid regular season for the New York Giants, the Big Apple’s team has now decided to trade their once-in-a-lifetime wideout Odell Beckham Jr. to the rising Cleveland Browns. The team traded the star for a 2019 1st and 3rd round pick along with sophomore safety Jabrill Peppers.

The move may seem as a dismal decision, but the former first round pick and the Giant’s organization have seemed to be butting heads in recent memory. The rocky relationship included fines, sideline tantrums, and Beckham publicly questioning the play calling of the coaching staff.

The teams awful 2018 season wasn’t much help to the relationship as well. The Giants finished 5-11 and ended the season dead last in the NFC East. The offense, considering the high quality players the team had in their repertoire, was very underwhelming. The only bright spot for the team seemed to be the connection of Beckham and Offensive Rookie of the Year Saquon Barkley. The Giant’s are now entering full rebuild mode as with the assets acquired for the rights of Beckham, the team will more than likely build a brand new core sticking with Saquon Barkley in the backfield.

On the flip side of the trade, the landscape is completely different. The Cleveland Browns in the span of a season have gone from the league laughing stock to potentially the AFC’s newest contender.

The previous season the Browns finished 7-8-1, a major upgrade from their 0-16 2017 campaign. The 2019 season though has much higher expectations now with Beckham and other newly acquired pieces in their offense.

In joining the Browns, Odell Beckham Jr. will form one of the league’s deadliest wideout tandems with former LSU teammate Jarvis “Juice” Landry. The former Fighting Tigers duo dominated on the offensive side of the ball, combining for eighteen of the team’s twenty three receiving touchdowns in the 2013 CFB season. The pair can definitely be expected to have the same sort of production at the Dog Pound.

Aside from joining his former college teammate Beckham also joins rookie standout QB Baker Mayfield, RB Nick Chubb and newly acquired RB Kareem Hunt. The team on paper seems to be among the top offenses in the league. With the demise of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the major upgrade in Cleveland, the AFC North seems to be Cleveland’s for the taking.

Odell Beckham Jr.’s time in New York was undoubtedly memorable. The receiver made a name for himself breaking record after record and showing NFL fans around the world plays that were absolutely electrifying. Although the past few seasons had been rough for Odell, the future looks bright in Cleveland with Odell and a roster stacked with potential.