Browns should pursue trade for Odell Beckham Jr.
One thing is glaringly obvious, the New York Giants are in a rebuild. This is why the Cleveland Browns should contact the team about a trade for Odell Beckham Jr.
Sure the Giants view Odell Beckham Jr. as a cornerstone of their future. Beckham is one of the best receivers in the league and signed him to a long-term deal just before the season. A five-year $90 million deal with nearly $41 million guaranteed. New York wants to keep Beckham in a Giants uniform for the long haul. That is if they do not receive a trade offer that could convince them otherwise. A trade that the Cleveland Browns could offer.
What could Cleveland offer and why would they do it?
Cleveland can offer something that the Giants need, draft picks. New York has holes all over the roster and they need to be addressed. The problem is that New York is not in a good situation cap wise and the only way they can improve is through the draft. If Cleveland were to offer New York two high draft picks (a first and a second for example), they may be persuaded to trade Odell Beckham Jr.
The Giants are not in a position to rebuild their team slowly with only their own draft picks. They will need to acquire more picks to fast forward that process. Similar to what the Browns previously did and what the Raiders are currently doing. A teardown to acquire more picks would not only free them of expensive contracts, it will help them rebuild their roster and become competitive much faster.
The reason why Cleveland would send two high picks is that a glaring need on their team is wide receiver. The upcoming free agent market quite thin and it would be wise to trade for a talented wide receiver rather than hope one is found in the draft. Cleveland also has the cap space to absorb Beckham’s contract. Few teams can overcome this hurdle, the Browns are definitely one of the few.
The only holdup from the Giants point of view is the dead money from Beckham’s deal. That is besides trading away a superstar receiver. Nearly $41 million attributed to dead cap. Although this did not stop an earlier trade the Browns made. The Brock Osweiler acquisition was a similar scenario. Cleveland sent money to Houston to offset the cap hit. A similar approach can potentially persuade the Giants to trade Beckham.
The Browns need another receiver to play alongside Jarvis Landry. Not just for this year, but the foreseeable future. Blockbuster trades in the NFL do not occur often before the deadline. However making a large offer to the Giants to acquire Beckham would be a wise decision.
