As we labor through the lost hours after Christmas, Giants fans should feel grateful about one jersey that didn't hang from the holiday tree: No. 13
Perhaps the most gifted football player (not named Lawrence Taylor) in franchise history, Odell Beckham Jr. was booted to the Browns in the kind of seismic trade that rarely shakes the NFL. Teams don't usually part with players of Beckham's talent, and teams aren't often willing to part with the players or picks required to obtain them.
But with almost a full NFL season after the deal, it's clear to anyone outside Beckham's social circle that the Giants did the right thing.
Even those of us who urged the Giants to keep the star wideout must concede the prudence in peeling Beckham from the roster. Even those of us who thought Beckham's binary appeal as a player and a celebrity warranted the money and made him worth the headaches. Between jersey sales and his millennial magnetism, Beckham looked like the perfect product for a league built on entertainment.
Yet Beckham has not produced the sparkling season you'd expect from the all-world wideout. In 15 starts, Beckham caught 71 passes for 954 yards, averaging 13.4 yards per reception - all career lows for any season in which he's started at least 12 games. And the man who made his name and game on eye-popping touchdown catches has just three scores this season.
Then you have his mood swings and his endless dives into the social media mosh pit, none of which helps a young Browns squad yearning for leadership. During a recent game in Arizona, several Browns players pleaded with Cardinals players to "come get them," - implying they would love to jump ship from Ohio all the way to Glendale.
While Beckham wasn't singled out as a member of that particular mutiny, he has reportedly asked to be traded from the Browns. During a recent interview, he was opaque, at best, when asked if he wanted to stay in Cleveland. Then, after he was hammered for his apathy, he took to Twitter and assured the world this flag is planted in Cleveland.
It's all part of his tornadic aura, which often sucks in drama, fans, followers, and fellow players. And the team is never lifted by the high tide of Beckham's celebrity. More often the worst happens, as it has with the Browns this year. Widely regarded as the "now" team with established stars and young studs freckling the roster, the Browns were supposed bust through the playoff membrane for first time in 17 years.
Instead, the Browns are 6-9, in third place in the AFC North, and assured of yet another losing season. Not all of that falls on Beckham. They hastily hired Freddie Kitchens as head coach despite his dearth of experience. So it left the club bereft of a stern, paternal figure to keep their epic egos in check. They flanked sophomore QB Baker Mayfield with alpha males, led by Beckham, who tend to overpower young quarterbacks with the force of their personalities.
Then there's the reality that you still build solid teams from the inside out. Even in the new, aerodynamic NFL, where passing has become hipster-chic, we find that a robust running game and brick-hard defenses still prevail in the playoffs. So even at his productive best - which he has not been this year - Beckham was never the answer for the Giants, or the Browns.
Jay Glazer, who first hinted that Beckham would be dealt from the Giants, also suspects that Beckham will run a crisp route out of Cleveland. There would be at least a dozen teams pining for his services, despite his history as a malcontent. The only muted time in Beckham's pro career was that silent summer before he signed his $95 million deal with the Giants. Big Blue swore they didn't sign him to trade him, then traded him.
And while you may miss his nifty pregame warm-ups, one-handed grabs, and his all-around acrobatic play, Odell Beckham Jr is more than a football player. He's a rock star. It may be good for his bankroll, but not so good for the Browns. So this holiday season, Giants fans should be thankful for not getting that glittering toy that looks great in the window, only lasts a little while, and then must be returned.
Twitter: @JasonKeidel
