Inside How the Giant Odell Beckham Jr. Trade Went Down

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In a shocking trade that will have implications for years to come, Odell Beckham Jr. went from being a member of the Big Blue to being a Brown.

The deal, which netted the New York Giants young safety Jabrill Peppers and Cleveland’s first- and third-round choices in the upcoming NFL draft, gives the Browns the most dynamic playmaker they’ve had in years and makes the team an immediate threat to capture the AFC North crown next season.

For the Giants, the trade is a sign that the team is willing to accept they won’t be in contention in 2019 and that they want to build for the post-Eli Manning future.

It was not a decision New York arrived at easily and, according to a new ESPN report about how the deal went down, the trade was only made with the “reluctant approval” of Giants owner John Mara.

But, Giants general manager Dave Gettleman, who is a longtime friend of Browns GM John Dorsey, was finally able to convince Mara on the merits of the deal after first getting Giants chairman Steve Tisch to offer his blessing.

“It’s a trade that represents both teams,” Dorsey said. “I think the trade helps the Giants and I think the trade helps the Cleveland Browns.”

In the end, Mara consented to getting rid of the team’s most talented and popular player and the Giants now own three of the top 37 picks in the draft as a result.

That hasn’t stopped criticism and anger from fans to come pouring in, nor will it make it any easier for Mara to see Beckham playing in a Browns uniform next season.

“It’s not going to be easy. I won’t lie to you: It’s not going to be easy,” Mara told ESPN. “I mean, he is a great player, and I hope he has a great career with the Browns. It makes it a little easier that he’s not in our conference.”

It helps that the Browns and Giants won’t play during the upcoming season unless they meet in the Super Bowl, which has almost no chance of happening.

Unlike in years past, that’s because the Giants, not the Browns, have no shot of getting there. The biggest reason for that reversal is the Beckham trade.