The New York Giants might say publicly that Odell Beckham Jr. is not on the trade block. That’s fine. It also doesn’t mean the Giants aren’t actually taking trade offers for the often-maligned OBJ.
According to this report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, New York is demanding at least two first-round picks in exchange for its star receiver.
Giants have asked for at least two first-round picks in return for Odell Beckham Jr., a league source tells ESPN, even though team insists it is not shopping him.
Doesn’t mean they get it, or close to it, or even trade OBJ. But they have asked for at least two first-round picks.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 28, 2018
Well, that’s not going to happen. No team is going to exhaust two first-round picks while likely having to pay Beckham $20-plus million annually. That’s not how it works in today’s NFL.
By reportedly setting such a high bar in trade talks, the Giants could be doing one of two things. First off, they might not be intending to move Beckham Jr. at all. The likelier scenario is that New York is asking for the moon while understanding it will have to come off this perch.
We focused before on six teams that should make a move for Beckham. Of those squads, the San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns seemingly have the most draft and cap capital to make it work. In no way does that mean either team would be willing to give up a king’s ransom for OBJ.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Rams have reportedly already offered up the No. 23 pick in this year’s draft for Beckham (more on that here).
We promise to hear a whole heck of a lot more on this front as the NFL prepares for next month’s draft. Even then, it seems foolish to believe the Giants would move on from such a generational player.