The New York Giants officially announced that wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and linebacker Olivier Vernon have been traded to the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday, with general manager Dave Gettleman offering little more than a parting “thank you.”
“The New York Football Giants would like to thank Odell Beckham, Jr. for his contributions,” Gettleman said via Giants.com. “We truly wish him well in Cleveland, and we want to wish OV the best and nothing but success for both of them.”
In exchange for Vernon, the Giants acquired veteran guard Kevin Zeitler, who fills a major hole along their offensive line and should serve to better protect quarterback Eli Manning.
“We’re very excited we were able to get a quality NFL guard in Kevin Zeitler,” said Gettleman. “We’ve already had him in here, and he passed his physical. That really adds another piece to the offensive line repair that we have going. Now, we have most of the line under control for the next couple years. It’s a great opportunity for us to build stability on our offensive line. We’re excited about that.”
Meanwhile, the return for Beckham was more substantial. In addition to a first-round pick and a third-round pick, the Browns also sent safety Jabrill Peppers to East Rutherford.
“We’re very excited to have Jabrill,” said Gettleman. “A lot of people remember him from his days at Paramus Catholic. He’s coming back home. I spoke to him last night and he’s excited and thankful and couldn’t wait to get here. Jabrill is a quality safety in this league and he is a legitimate linchpin on the back end of your defense. The way this game is being played, your safeties are critical in pass defense.”
And with that, the trades are official and the Giants are moving forward without their two highest-graded players from 2018.
