The New York Giants wanted to sabotage Odell Beckham Jr.âs career, according to the wide receiver himself. OBJ believes the decision to trade him to the Cleveland Browns in 2019 was the Giantsâ way of sending him off âto die.â
Beckham made the brutal claim during an appearance on the âPunch Line Podcast.â Speaking to Baltimore Ravensâ teammate Marlon Humphrey, Beckham said, âYou know, thereâs semi a bit of me that like, feel like the Giants sent me off, Iâve said it before, sent me off to Cleveland to die.â
Beckham believes he âcould have went to the 49ers, I could have went to the Patriots. I could have went to a team that had, you know, a chance to be great. And thatâs not what their desire was.â
nation: âYou canât tell me this was the best trade package we could have got for you.â
Odell Beckham Jr. Believes Giants Wanted Payback With Browns Trade
His theory is the Giants were looking for payback when they sent him to Cleveland: âYou feel like I made a fool of you or the organization, and that was never truly, like, my intention.â
Beckham insists he never tried to show the Giants up, but his ambition to win drove his discontent: âIâm just that competitive. Like, I wanted to win. I got, I always wanted to win. Iâm tired of being 6-10. We havenât done anything to make changes.â
A perceived lack of effort to surround two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Eli Manning with enough talent also irked Beckham: âI want to see Eli go out with another Super Bowl, like, weâre not putting the pieces around him, and I feel like I was being wasted as well.â
The idea Beckham was being wasted by the Giants is a little bit of revisionist history. He built his star in the NFL as a member of Big Blue in an offense largely geared to his extraordinary talents.
Those talents translated to being named AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2014. A further three 1,000-yard seasons followed, with Beckham snagging a career-high 101 catches in 2016.
While Beckhamâs right to value victories and championships over stats, the Giants were trying to win by getting him the ball. Turnover at the front office and coaching levels, along with injuries and off-field drama, ultimately doomed his time with the Giants.
That left the franchise obligated to get the most possible for Beckham on the trade market. The Browns offered best value when they dealt first and third-round picks in the 2019 NFL draft, as safety Jabrill Peppers and guard Kevin Zeitler for OBJ and edge-rusher Olivier Vernon.
It wasnât the Giantsâ responsibility to worry about where Beckham had the best chance to win a championship away from New York. He didnât come close in Cleveland, but joining the Browns hardly proved the death knell for Beckhamâs career.
The wideout posted his last 1,000-yard season during his first year with the Browns. OBJ tallied 1,035 yards on the watch of offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who is now helping Beckham revive his career with the Ravens
Giants Lost Odell Beckham Jr. Trade
The Giants lost the Beckham trade in more ways than one. Not only are they still looking for an elite wide receiver to take his place, a search that encouraged Big Blue to pursue a reunion with Beckham last year.
Thereâs also the not-so small matter of neither of the veterans the Giants acquired no longer suiting up for Big Blue. Zeitler is one of Beckhamâs teammates with the Ravens, while Peppers is starting for the New England Patriots. At least the trade did yield All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II.
