While it had been rumored for quite some time that the New York Giants would move Odell Beckham Jr. if the price was right, the trade that took the world by storm seemed sudden when the news broke on Tuesday night.
The trade came just days after the Pittsburgh Steelers traded Antonio Brown to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for a pair of draft picks in the third and fifth rounds. With Beckham being younger than Brown, it’s no surprise that the Giants would get a better return than the Steelers got.
However, it does seem that Odell will take a lesson from the Antonio Brown trade when he gets things started with the Browns.
The fact that Beckham could require a pay bump may not be a concern for the Browns with the cap space they had entering this offseason. However, it seems crazy to think Beckham may get a semi-new contract less than a year after signing a five-year, $95 million contract.
Many will dispute whether or not the Giants got a good return from the Browns in exchange for Beckham, but considering the minimal return Pittsburgh got, the money Oakland had to pay and the adjustments Cleveland may have to make to Beckham’s contract, the Giants look somewhat golden.
As much as Beckham leaving East Rutherford may sting, the Giants avoided falling into the same trap Pittsburgh did while also landing a much more significant haul in exchange for Odell than the Steelers did with Brown. And for that, general manager Dave Gettleman deserves a tip of the cap.
