Getty Odell Beckham before a Browns game in 2020.
The Detroit Lions officially have a new general manager in Brad Holmes, and the duty of making over the team’s roster now falls into the hands of the long-time Los Angeles Rams scouting director.
Whether it was moving on from draft busts or deals to acquire Sammy Watkins, Brandin Cooks, Marcus Peters and Jalen Ramsey, Holmes was privy to some of the bolder trades in the league during his 18 years in L.A. His protege Les Snead never shied away from the big deal, especially in recent years, and Holmes will have the chance to make some of his own once he gets going on the job.
Already, some suggestions are coming in as to what such deals could or should look like. Bleacher Report writer Kristopher Knox recently made his best pitch for some trades that could create elite QB-WR duos around the league. In terms of the Lions, Odell Beckham Jr. was the name in consideration.
Knox wrote:
Beckham was lost for the season to a torn ACL after just seven games, and Cleveland still managed to win 11 games and advance to the divisional round of the playoffs. If the Browns could get some quality defensive talent for Beckham, a trade could make sense.
While Beckham hasn’t been a natural fit in head coach Kevin Stefanski’s offense, he could be a great fit for the Detroit Lions and cannon-armed quarterback Matthew Stafford. It’s unclear who will be coaching the Lions offense in 2021, but the personnel suggests that Detroit will be less run-heavy than the Browns.
Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr. will also be free agents, so a new No. 1 receiver could be at the top of the Lions’ wish list.
Beckham’s trade value has taken a hit over the last couple of years, and the ACL injury certainly isn’t going to help. However, Cleveland could ask for a Day 3 draft pick and a veteran defender in return. Cornerback Justin Coleman—who was in Vikings camp with Stefanski back in 2015—might be a prime target.
A Coleman-for-Beckham swap could allow both the Lions and Browns to acquire something of need. This past season, Cleveland suffered from a lack of help on the back end of their defense, ranking 22nd in passing yards allowed. Adding Coleman, who knows Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski from his time in Minnesota, could provide them that depth behind established starters Denzel Ward and Terrance Mitchell. The Lions, meanwhile, could give Beckham a fresh start given the holes they could have at wideout.
In an offseason that figures to see plenty of conjecture, it will be interesting to see if this is merely the beginning of the rumors.
Beckham’s Future in Cleveland Remains Uncertain
There’s no question that Beckham has been one of the better wideouts since the former LSU star entered the league as a first-round draft pick of the New York Giants in 2014, where he posted 44 touchdowns and 5,476 receiving yards in his first five seasons. During that time, Beckham was a three-time Pro Bowler before a March 2019 trade to the Cleveland Browns shook up his career. After landing in Cleveland, Beckham has put up 1,354 yards and seven touchdowns over 23 games.
His 2020 campaign was cut short due to a torn ACL suffered early on in the team’s Week 7 win in Cincinnati. Now his future is firmly up in the air given the receiving depth the Browns were able to develop in the season’s last few months, including 2020 sixth-rounder Donovan Peoples-Jones and a resurgent Rashard Higgins.
Earlier this week the 28-year-old was seen showing off his recovery progress in a workout video posted on social media. Giants star running back Saquon Barkley, who tore his ACL in Week 2 earlier this season, also told ESPN on Wednesday that he plans to “link up” with his friend OBJ to continue their rehab together.
In spite of his production, Beckham has not been without drama in both of his stops on the field and off — including an incident last January involving a rescinded arrest warrant for his antics during his alma mater’s College Football Playoff National Championship win. Obviously, the Lions will have to weigh the risk-reward potential if they were to consider such a deal.
Wideout Poised to Be Huge Offseason Need for Lions
Detroit could have a major offseason need at the receiver position. Wideout Marvin Jones and Danny Amendola are both impending free agents, and while the Lions could apply the franchise tag on Kenny Golladay, the Pro Bowler could escape Detroit to free agency as well. That doesn’t leave much else for the team at the spot, and that could be a problem whether or not Matthew Stafford comes back in 2021 or the team elects to go in a different direction at quarterback.
Given Beckham still has three seasons remaining on the five-year, $90 million extension he signed in New York, Cleveland’s only way out would be to deal him, or otherwise absorb $12.7 million in dead cap in 2021. The seventh-year star carries a cap hit of $15.75 million next season, which drops to $15 million in the final two years of his contract.
At present, Detroit is projected to have approximately $3.3 million in available cap space this offseason, per Spotrac, though a few unforeseen moves could significantly alter that number. A smart approach for the front office would be to consider all options at wideout, and that includes trades.
If Beckham is indeed healthy and the Browns are willing to deal, it could be an interesting move considering what figures to be a major area of need for the rebuilding Lions.
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