The New York Giants continued an unabashed rebuild of their roster on Wednesday, caving to months of rumors and speculation by trading superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. to the Cleveland Browns.
Getting assets for a player of his caliber now was always going to be the smartest move for Giants general manager Dave Gettleman if Beckham wanted to continue his career elsewhere; that's not up for debate.
What's drawn the ire of many league analysts and frustrated New York fans, on the contrary, is the package Gettleman and company received in exchange for a wide receiver locked up on a long-term contract just beginning the thick of his prime who's been as productive as any other pass-catcher in football since entering the league in 2014.
Could the Giants really not have found a trade partner willing to offer more than a first-round pick, third-round pick, and solid but unspectacular player the likes of safety Jabrill Peppers?
Conventional wisdom says they could have, especially since Gettleman seemed to be driving a hard public bargain as whispers of his team's willingness to trade Beckham grew louder.
“We didn't sign Odell to trade him,” he said on February 27th, alluding to the record five-year, $90 million extension Beckham signed with New York last August.
One aspect that might have clouded Gettleman's judgement in gauging the market for Beckham? The fact that his team was already loaded with draft picks after trading star defensive tackle Damon Harrison and 2016 first-round pick Eli Apple midway through last season.
The Giants won't be good next season, and have a long road back toward contention. With a stable of draft picks like this, though, it seems only a matter of time until New York becomes a factor again – regardless of whether or not the team should have held out for a better return for Beckham.
The Dirty Dozen
Giants' current 2019 draft picksRound 1: No. 6
Round 1: No. 17
Round 2: No. 37
Round 3: No. 95
Round 4: No. 108
Round 4: No. 132
Round 5: No. 142
Round 5: No. 143
Round 5: No. 171
Round 6: No. 180
Round 7: No. 232
Round 7: No. 245— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) March 13, 2019
The 2019 NFL draft begins on April 25th.