Getty Odell Beckham Jr. continues to be involved in trade rumors.
ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith wants Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to demand a trade and believes the Seattle Seahawks should be one of his top landing spots. Smith ranks the Seahawks and Packers as the best potential destinations for Beckham if the Browns were willing to make a deal.
“I want him in Green Bay, Max [Kellerman], or I want him in Seattle,” Smith explained on First Take. “Those are the two places that I want Odell Beckham Jr. One or the other, Green Bay or Seattle, get him the hell out of Cleveland. He deserves our support. All of us, period.”
The receiver has had an up-and-down tenure since arriving in Cleveland, and Smith noted a change of scenery could help his career. First Take co-host Max Kellerman suggested the Patriots as a better landing spot, but Smith called the Seahawks an “automatic” lock for the Super Bowl if they traded for Beckham.
“He goes to Green Bay or Seattle, they’re in the Super Bowl,” Smith added. “…I think it’s automatic that Seattle or Green Bay is in the Super Bowl if they get Odell Beckham Jr.”
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Beckham’s $14 Million Salary Makes Him an Unlikely Fit for the Seahawks
Beckham no doubt improves the Seahawks, but the receiver would be a $14 million luxury on an offense that is already one of the best in the NFL. The Seahawks are getting reinforcements with Phillip Dorsett expected to return soon, and Josh Gordon awaiting reinstatement from the league. Seattle has also been linked to Antonio Brown who is eligible to play in Week 9, and would likely come with a much lower price tag.
D.K. Metcalf is emerging as one of the best receivers in the league and is on a team-friendly rookie deal. Trading for Beckham would require the Seahawks to give up assets for a player that could disrupt a thriving offense.
OBJ Has Stated His Desire to Stay in Cleveland on Multiple Occasions
Smith may want to see Beckham paired with Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson, but the Browns are going to find it hard to deal the star receiver. As teams are seeing plenty of rookie and second-year receivers producing, there is a reluctance to pay a wide receiver $14 million. Beckham noted at the end of last season that his preference is to remain in Cleveland.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Beckham said in December 2019, per Sports Illustrated. “I’ll be here. We’ll figure this thing out. It’s just too special to leave. It’s done. Just put it to bed. I’m going to be here. There’s nothing more to talk about.”
If the Seahawks are going to make a big offensive splash, it will likely be to sign Brown who will no longer command top dollar given his off-the-field baggage. It will be interesting to see if the Seahawks will make a deal to improve their pass rush by the November 3 trade deadline.
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