Getty New York Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. was traded to the Cleveland Browns
With the Antonio Brown saga finally winding down after the Oakland Raiders struck a deal for the wideout, attention now shifts to Odell Beckham Jr. moving forward. While it’s almost unfathomable to consider the idea of two star wide receivers being traded in one offseason, the chances of it happening may be heating up.
There have been talks about the New York Giants considering moving Beckham since earlier in the offseason, but nothing has come to fruition. On Tuesday in the midst of the wild NFL free agency tapering period, ESPN’s Field Yates revealed that Josina Anderson reported one AFC North team “continues to inquire” on Beckham. She also states that discussions remain ongoing.
Via @JosinaAnderson on NFL LIVE: there is an AFC North team that as recently as today continues to inquire on Odell Beckham, Jr.’s availability and discussions have remained ongoing.
The AFC North obviously features a few intriguing fits in the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals. You could argue that all four of the teams, possibly with the exception of the Bengals, could use a wideout at this point. But the Browns stand out above the rest as the potential mystery team here.
Browns Clearing Cap Space to Make Push for Odell Beckham?
Thanks to some in-depth research by Ben Axelrod of WKYC3, it seems the Browns may have been working this past week to gear up for a run at Beckham. He points to a tweet from Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller which stated the “rumors coming out of Cleveland this afternoon are wild. And huge. Something’s cooking.”
This came back on March 6, and Miller expanded on that during his “Stick to Football” podcast, specifically referencing the Browns-Beckham rumor.
“The rumor that I heard is that they were clearing cap space to potentially go after Odell Beckham Jr.,” Miller said.
Miller proceeded to point out that if the Giants did trade Beckham that the Browns are “probably a front runner” to do it.
“There is talk out there that Odell could be traded,” Miller confirmed. “The Browns are probably a front-runner for that.”
There’s no question the Ravens and Steelers may target a wideout this offseason, but taking on the big contract of Beckham seems unrealistic for either team.
Odell Beckham Jr.’s Fit With Browns
It’s hard to ignore the idea of Beckham teaming up with former LSU Tigers teammate Jarvis Landry on one of the most intriguing offenses in the NFL currently. Beyond just Landry and second-year quarterback Baker Mayfield, the Browns have another sophomore standout in running back Nick Chubb. They signed Kareem Hunt in the offseason and have a number of other young pieces on that side of the ball.
The Giants trading Beckham would likely take a pretty strong haul, but the Browns aren’t shying away from making big moves. The Pro Bowl wideout, who’s 26 currently, has topped 1,000 receiving yards in each season that he’s played in 12 or more games (four of five). Over Beckham’s 59 games with the Giants, he’s caught 390 passes for 5,476 yards and 44 touchdowns.
Giving Mayfield a duo of Landry and Beckham, along with young tight end David Njoku could push the Browns offense to another level in 2019, and they look like the team to watch here.
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