Odell Beckham Jr.
ESNY Graphic, AP Photo

The New York Giants traded their superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham to the Cleveland Browns, creating for massive reactions.

Jason Leach

The New York Giants shocked their fan base on Tuesday evening when they traded three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns for safety Jabrill Peppers, and the Browns first-round (17th overall) and third-round (95th overall) picks.

There have been rumors swirling for months that the Giants were looking to trade Beckham. Those rumors were dismissed after general manager Dave Gettleman claimed the organization didn’t sign him to trade him.

But for whatever reason, Gettleman went back on his word and made the blockbuster trade on Tuesday.

In his five years with Big Blue, Beckham established himself as one of the most dynamic playmakers in the league.

In the 59 games, Beckham tallied 390 receptions for 5,476 yards, and 44 receiving touchdowns. He earned Second-Team All-Pro honors by the Associated Press in 2015 and 2016. From 2014 to 2016, he had at least 1,305 receiving yards.

(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

The Giants get back a solid safety in Peppers, the Browns first-round pick in 2017 (25th overall), who will take the place of Landon Collins at strong safety. In his two years with the Browns, he’s amassed 136 tackles, eight passes defensed, two interceptions, and a sack.

Peppers has a promising career in front of him and the Giants hope that the draft picks they got on the trade will have promising careers as well. But as it stands right now, the Giants did not get nearly enough in return for Beckham, and it’s obvious what how the narrative should be shaped.

The Giants are in full rebuild mode

For a fanbase that’s witnessed an 8-24 mark over the last two seasons, it’s a bitter pill to swallow, but the Giants trading away Beckham signals that the team is in full rebuild mode. With the two draft picks they acquired in the trade, Gettleman will look to use those picks to help form the core that will help the Giants in the future.

This will not be a quick fix and it will take years before the Giants are contenders again. The Giants finished in the basement of the NFC East the last two seasons and are likely headed that way again in 2019. Teams don’t usually improve following the immediate aftermath of trading away one of the best players in the league.

Nobody from the Jerry Reese regime is safe

(Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)

Since named Giants GM in December of 2017, Gettleman has parted way with key players that were acquired under the previous general manager Jerry Reese.

One of Gettleman’s first transactions was to trade away two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Then in the middle of last season, he traded Damon Harrison to the Lions and Eli Apple to the Saints.

His most shocking move prior to trading OBJ was allowing safety Landon Collins to walk away without getting anything in return.

The remaining players in the locker room that were acquired by Reese, such as Janoris Jenkins, Evan Engram, Sterling Shepard, and Dalvin Tomlinson, must be wondering if their the next player from the Reese regime that’s on the chopping block.

Is Eli Manning the next to go?

With the Giants in full rebuild mode and Eli Manning, 38, entering the final year of his contract in which he’s set to make $23.2 million, the average fan has to wonder if the Giants will tear everything down and part ways with their two-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback.

Manning isn’t the same quarterback he was in 2011 and since 2014, his numbers in games Beckham hasn’t appeared in are down drastically. His completion percentage is two points down and yards per game are down 41 yards.

Gettleman may be more inclined to part ways with Manning now that his number one target is no longer on the team, and that he can use one of his two first-round draft picks (sixth and 17th) to draft a quarterback.

Gettleman’s legacy will be defined by this trade

Trading away one of the best players in the league in the prime of his career could have serious ramifications for Gettleman’s legacy if the Giants don’t eventually turn things around, especially in the eyes of Giants fans.

The Giants are in rebuild mode but the belief is at 26, Beckham could have and should have been part of the rebuilding process along with Saquon Barkley.

When a trade of this magnitude is made, only two possible paths can unfold. Gettleman will be viewed as a genius or a fool that traded away one of the best players in the history of the franchise. Gettleman’s tenure as GM will be defined by this trade.

Right now, most fans want to run Gettleman out of town.

The dynamic duo of Barkley and Beckham last just 12 games

Fans thought the dynamic duo of Beckham and Barkley would be around for years, giving the Giants a rare combination of having a top-five running back and wide receiver.

But with this trade, fans only got to see them on the field together for just 12 games. Beckham and Barkley would have been able to lead the New York Giants in the post-Eli Manning era. Now fans only have to wonder what could have been.

Jason's first love was football while growing up in northern New Jersey. For the past three years, he has covered the New York Giants, as well as several boxing events along the East Coast.