A week after Dave Gettleman insisted he did not sign Odell Beckham just to turn around and trade him, the Giants general manager has dealt the franchise's superstar wideout to a team on the rise.
New York had traded Beckham to Cleveland in exchange for a first-round pick (No. 17 overall) the second of the Browns' third-round picks (No. 95) and safety Jabrill Peppers, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported Tuesday, via a source informed of the situation. The Browns made the move official
If Gettleman had designs on dealing Beckham, his best course of action was playing hard to get. To that end, he informed interested counterparts that he was asking for the moon, Garafolo added, with several teams in the mix.
On the hunt for a true No. 1 receiver to pair with second-year QB sensation Baker Mayfield, Browns general manager John Dorsey remains aggressive in transforming assets from the previous regime's rebuilding effort into blue-chip talent for the current roster.
Tuesday's blockbuster reunites Beckham with close friend Jarvis Landry as well as former LSU receivers coach Adam Henry.
Gettleman, on the other hand, had an opportunity to pair Beckham with a hotshot quarterback prospect such as the Jets' Sam Darnold in last year's draft. Instead, he will oversee a lengthy roster reconstruction process of his own, watching one of the game's most gifted players catching passes from Cleveland's savior under center.
Since entering the NFL in 2014, Beckham ranks third in targets per game (10.5), fourth in receptions per game (6.6), third in receiving yards per game (92.8) and third in receiving touchdowns (44). His new battery mate, Mayfield, established an NFL rookie record for touchdown passes.
That tandem is talented enough to challenge the likes of Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes-to-Tyreek Hill, Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers-to-Davante Adams and Houston's Deshaun Watson-to-DeAndre Hopkins as the NFL's most talented and productive.
Cleveland's offensive nucleus of Mayfield, Beckham, Landry, power back Nick Chubb, receiving back Duke Johnson, tight end David Njoku and a solid unit up front is now the class of the AFC North.
After adding defensive linemen Olivier Vernon and Sheldon Richardson, the other side of the ball might just challenge a diminished Ravens defense for tops in the division.
In just over a year, Dorsey has stockpiled a previous barren roster, perhaps even transforming a laughingstock into a Super Bowl hopeful.
A study in contrast, the Giants have stripped down to spare parts on defense while remaining beholden to an outdated image of Eli Manning on offense. They appear to be entering the drought conditions from which Cleveland is recovering.