Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. had another sideline meltdown during Thursday’s 34-13 blowout loss to the Eagles, and the trade rumors are currently in full swing — leading up to the Oct. 30 deadline.
Beckham was rewarded by the Giants roughly six weeks ago, in hopes that his on and off-field antics would finally stop. The Giants made him the highest-paid receiver in NFL history, signing him to a 5-year, $90 million deal.
That contract has proved to be a nightmare, as not only is OBJ having the worst season of his career — with 45 catches for 506 yards, and only one touchdown — but his sideline tantrums have continued. Beckham was seen walking off the field by himself in the final moments of the second quarter (watch here), while Eli Manning and the Giants offense was on the field. OBJ walked to the locker room by himself, as Manning completed a pass to teammate Sterling Shepard, which seemed odd. And we’re not buying head coach Pat Shurmur’s explanation about OBJ being “dehydrated,” either.
But that wasn’t all he did in the game. Roughly one hour later, Beckham was seen punching and head-butting a cooling fan on the Giants sideline (watch here). He appeared frustrated, probably because he was held to six catches for only 44 yards in the game, going up against a porous secondary, no less.
A report from Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News that followed the game discussed how John Mara was following OBJ around after the game, and that it feels like he’s “on notice.” And let’s be honest, Beckham isn’t going to change his tune anytime soon. We’ve heard him say it time and time again, but the results are the same. What he needs is a change of scenery, and lucky for him, there are a few suitable landing spots — teams that need a receiver, and could possibly trade for him.
It’s no secret that Beckham wants to play in Los Angeles, which is why the Rams were interested in him earlier in the spring. They’ve since moved on, but the Los Angeles Chargers are in desperate need of a No. 1 receiver. Keenan Allen has been nearly invisible this season, with only 32 catches for 372 yards (one touchdown). But he’s been drawing a lot of coverage, without star tight end Hunter Henry on the field, and the addition of OBJ could open everything up for him. The Chargers need a playmaker to compete in the ultra-competitive AFC West, and at 3-2, they’re right in the thick of things as it relates to the AFC playoff picture. The Chargers need a marketable superstar to compete with the Rams, who are drawing all the attention. OBJ could be that guy.
The Dallas Cowboys are in desperate need of a receiver, but they’re a bit more of a longshot, as it’s unlikely that the Giants would trade Beckham to a divisional foe. As for OBJ, he’d love to stick it to the G-Men, though, and if the team really wants to move him, they’d consider any and all trade offers that come their way, especially during a throwaway year, as the Giants are now 1-5 on the season. New York will be looking for first-round draft picks, so it can select the quarterback to replace veteran Eli Manning.
And looking at it, the Cowboys let Dez Bryant walk — a former first-round draft pick in 2011. It was expected that running back Ezekiel Elliott could shoulder the load, but having a passing game is equally as important. Ranking 30th in the NFL in passing — at only 172 yards per game — as the Cowboys do, isn’t cutting it.
Allen Hurns is listed as the team’s No. 1, but he’s not on the same page with Dak Prescott. Outside of him, the Cowboys field an unproven group — Tavon Austin, Brice Butler and Deonte Thompson. The team needs a dynamic playmaker to stretch the field and open things up for Elliott underneath.
Wherever he ends up, OBJ might want to start warming up and doing the same drills as his teammates. The scene we saw during pregame warmups on Thursday night was just weird.
The Giants may have reached their tipping point, so it will be interesting to see what trade offers come their way.
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