Odell Beckham Jr. can’t stop talking about the Giants

Odell Beckham Jr. needs to focus on his own team.

Beckham, easily one of the most talented football players on Earth, comes off as a man who can’t get over being dumped. In an interview with Sports Illustrated for its NFL preview issue, the 26-year-old wide receiver talked about the offseason trade which sent him from the New York Giants to the Cleveland Browns. The money quote is something.

“This wasn’t no business move. This was personal. They thought they’d send me here to die.”

Both his continued need to talk about the Giants and the quote itself makes no sense.

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Let’s go one issue at a time. First, the Giants. New York dealt Odell Beckham Jr. to the Browns for safety Jabrill Peppers along with first and third-round picks in 2019. The return was certainly light for a two-time Second-Team All-Pro and a third-time Pro Bowler. Especially when you consider New York taking on oodles of dead money to make the move.

Still, New York clearly felt it needed to move on. The Giants are a rebuilding team and could have built around Beckham and first-round pick, quarterback Daniel Jones. Instead, general manager Dave Gettleman jettisoned his most talented player, despite giving him a five-year, $90 million deal only a year ago.

To the second point above, Beckham’s quote makes little sense. If the Giants had traded him to the Browns in the Hue Jackson era (error?) than it would be acutely accurate. In the current state? Cleveland is clearly better than New York and has a chance to make some real noise not only in December, but beyond. If anything, the Giants gave Beckham a chance to compete for the foreseeable future while his former team tries to figure out what the next few years look like.

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At some juncture, Odell Beckham Jr. needs to forget about his past. The present appears to be a wonderful place for the superstar, surrounded by other stars including quarterback Baker Mayfield, running backs Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb, and fellow receiver and LSU product, Jarvis Landry. Combine those talents with a dynamic general manager in John Dorsey and a young, quality defense, and the Browns are the favorites to win the AFC North.

Beckham has reason to think the Giants gave up on. He has reason to be mad at the way things ended, even if it’s for the best. Yet, Beckham has no reason to continue talking about something long done, when there’s work at hand.