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Odell Beckham Jr. Trade Rumors: Browns Offer Kevin Zeitler, Emmanuel Ogbah, More
March 8, 2019
The Cleveland Browns have been linked to New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., but it seems rumor and reality are on the opposite ends of the spectrum.
NFL Network reporter Aditi Kinkhabawala appeared on The Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima on Thursday and pumped the brakes when asked if the Browns and Giants' talks regarding a Beckham trade are serious.
"I wouldn't feel confident describing them as serious. I think it's the time of year where there are lots and lots and lots of conversations. ... [Browns general manager] John Dorsey is not afraid to be aggressive. He is not afraid to make bold moves. This is clearly a team that feels it's on the precipice of doing something significant—not just having a winning season but making the playoffs, making a run of some kind.
"He's not going to be afraid to go out and do something like that. The question here is are the Giants really moving on from him? I had been told [Kevin] Zeitler and [Emmanuel] Ogbah and another player had been packaged together—or had been offered—for Beckham. I ran that by a long-time member of the Giants organization who laughed and said there is not a chance and that would make the Giants a laughing stock."
There is certainly a disparity between the players the Browns reportedly offered and Beckham.
Zeitler is a 2012 first-round pick and offensive guard who has been in Cleveland since 2017. Defensive end Ogbah has spent his entire NFL career as a Brown since the franchise selected him in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft.
Beckham Jr. is a face of the NFL and entering the second season of a five-year, $90 million contract extension with the Giants.
Trade rumors surrounding Beckham, who's just a season removed from signing that record-breaking deal, have been ramping up in recent weeks. The receiver has been vague on the matter, tweeting on Feb. 13 a blushing emoji next to a zipped-lip emoji, and sending a similar one earlier this week:
According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, Beckham's services can be had "for the right price," however high that price may be. The three teams most interested in striking a deal are the Browns, San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders:
Beckham's market will presumably be dictated by Pittsburgh Steelers star wide receiver Antonio Brown, with a deal expected to be done involving Brown on Friday, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. As with Beckham, the Raiders and 49ers have been linked to the Steelers receiver.
Should they miss out on Brown, teams may pursue a more elusive deal with the Giants for Beckham.