Revisiting the OBJ Trade - Two Seasons Later

Title Photo: ESPN

The core of Odell Beckham, Jr. Saquon Barkley, and Evan Engram was supposed to shine.

Photo: USA TODAY / Giants Wire

It was supposed to lead the Giants to the playoffs. The defense was leaky, and Eli Manning was slowing down. Picking a quarterback in the 2019 draft was a necessity for New York, but they still had a chance to make the playoffs in 2018. What happened? They missed the playoffs, and OBJ was shipped to the Cleveland Browns, reunited with best friend, and former LSU teammate, Jarvis Landry. The G-Men received strong safety Jabrill Peppers, a first-round pick (17th overall) and a third-round pick (95th overall) in the upcoming 2019 NFL draft. The picks turned into defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, and linebacker Oshane Ximines. So, who won?

Beckham racked up 1,035 yards, and 4 touchdowns for the Browns in the dumpster fire that was the 2019 season. In 2020, the team fared better, making the postseason, but Beckham got hurt, tearing his ACL and only posting 319 yards and three scores. Now the future for him is muddy. Cleveland could possibly trade him for some assets, but his huge contract might be an issue. OBJ has shown that he can’t stay healthy, and the Browns have shown just how good they can be, even without him.

• Strong run game

• Good D

• Competent QB

• Solid weapons who balance the attack

You see, Cleveland doesn’t need a true number one wide receiver, because of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt carrying the rock effectively. The core of Landry, Donovon Peoples-Jones, and tight ends Austin Hooper, David Njoku, and Harrison Bryant do enough to supply Baker Mayfield with the pass catchers he needs to succeed. Beckham just doesn’t fit in. The defense is good enough to suffocate opposing teams and win games.

Browns Grade: D+

The Giants got a hard-hitting, versatile safety in Peppers, a potentially dominant pass rusher and run stopper in Lawrence, and Ximines. New York got a decent player who can contribute. The Giants replaced Beckham this offseason when they signed Kenny Golladay. Now it looks like the defense will carry them to the Promised Land, instead of the offense. The Giants made the correct move, and now have a better receiver in Golladay, and they don’t have to deal with all the drama associated with Beckham. They won this trade by a lot, and they will continue to reap the benefits for years to come. While the Browns will be good in the coming years, OBJ may be in a different uniform again.

Giants Grade: A+

If you liked this blog, then comment below with any other trades that you would like me to analyze.