The Odell Beckham Jr. trade rumors probably won’t lose steam until after the NFL Draft, and the one team that continues to come up is the Los Angeles Rams. But if the Rams were to trade for Beckham, they do not have any high first-round picks to offer. Would the Giants be willing to do business with them anyway?
Peter King of The MMQB wrote in his weekly column on Monday that there is “too much smoke around the Odell Beckham Jr.-to-the-Rams trade story to dismiss it.” King, who is one of the most well-connected reporters in sports, believes that the Rams have not been scared off by New York’s reported asking price of two first-round picks. He also notes that new Giants general manager Dave Gettleman has been faced with a similar situation in the past, and the end result was the Carolina Panthers moving on from star cornerback Josh Norman.
More from King:
This isn’t an easy one to decipher. The Giants already have a short fuse with the immature Beckham. He lives in Los Angeles in the offseason and could make it very hard on the Giants and their rookie head coach by not showing up for any of the offseason work, and holding out well into the summer. They may decide he’s not worth the trouble, and take two low first-rounders for him, and save all that cap money they’d have to pay him long-term—realizing full well it’s a deal they could soon regret. Look at GM Dave Gettleman’s history in Carolina. He had a big veteran star, Josh Norman, about to be a contract-related distraction for the Panthers in 2016. Gettleman’s solution was simply to cut him loose. If you told Gettleman he could get two first-round picks for a huge headache … well, I don’t have to draw you a map.
King went on to criticize those who say Beckham wouldn’t be worth two first-round picks, noting that Beckham is a 25-year-old proven star in a league where first-round draft busts are all too common.
If Beckham is moved, all signs point to the Rams being the most likely suitor. One report even indicated that Beckham would be open to the change, which isn’t a huge surprise given his affinity for the celebrity — or, Hollywood — lifestyle.
