Let's Talk About The Packers Trading for Odell Beckham Jr.
The New York Giants’ talented and troubled wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. appears to be on the move, whether the Giants trade him this offseason or allow him to leave in 2019 when he’s a free agent.
Giants general manager Dave Gettleman pulled a similar move when he was with the Carolina Panthers, releasing talented and outspoken corner Josh Norman following an All Pro season. Beckham, like Norman, is in the midst of his athletic prime, but did spend most of the 2017 season on injured reserve with a fractured ankle.
The Packers already have the closest thing to Odell Beckham Jr.
Mockdraftable uses the athletic profile of NFL players to draw comparisons between players. Punch in Beckham into the site and you’ll see the closest comparable player is Packers wide receiver Trevor Davis.
Davis may be the closest player athletically to Beckham, but the two are worlds apart from an offensive production standpoint.
Davis has had a peculiar two year career with the Packers. After flirting with transferring to the Wisconsin Badgers after his sophomore season, Davis wound up catching passes from Cal’s Jared Goff and returning kicks and punts. Green Bay selected him in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, and immediately the receiver turned heads in training camp.
Ultimately, Davis struggled to find the field as a rookie and caught just three passes. He earned a roster spot in his second NFL season thanks to a punt return touchdown during the preseason opener, but caught five passes despite playing in all sixteen games.
This season, despite expecting Davis to contribute more on offense, he played more than 70 percent of his snaps on special teams. Along with Jeff Janis, the pair were the only two wide receivers in the NFL who have been on a roster since Week 1 and who have played over 70 percent of their snaps on special teams.
What would it take for the Packers to trade for Odell Beckham Jr.?
If the Giants are in fact fed up with Beckham’s behavior and ready to move on, it’s unclear what exactly the fifth-year receiver would be worth on the trade market.
Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters, considered to be on the league’s best at his position, was traded to the Rams for a 2018 fourth-round pick and a 2019 second-rounder. Peters is on a statistical pace for the Hall of Fame, but Kansas City deemed the outspoken cornerback no longer worth the hassle.
Perhaps the Giants feel similarly about Beckham and will entertain a similar offer. Peters is under contract for two seasons, however, while Beckham will be a free agent after the 2018 season.
One other comparable trade when considering Beckham’s value is the Vikings and Seahawks trade for Percy Harvin before the 2013 season. Seattle traded a first-round and seventh-round pick in 2012 and a third-round pick in 2013 to acquire the multi-talented Harvin.
Whoever lands Beckham either via a trade or free agency will be then tasked with fairly compensating the receiver. He’s made his intentions of not playing in the 2018 season without a new contract public, meaning no team will trade for him without having a new deal already in place.
It won’t be cheap. Beckham’s market value via Spotrac estimates a six-year, $85 million contract extension. With the Packers facing a new contract for Aaron Rodgers, it’s unlikely new general manager Brian Gutekunst would be able to put two massive new deals on the books in the 2018 offseason without subtracting significant resources from the roster.