The Odell Beckham Jr. trade rumor mill saw a burst in production on social media on Wednesday, as it was said the Browns were on the verge of a deal with the Giants for the star wide receiver.
While that hasn't come to fruition, the rumors swirling around Beckham will likely continue through the offseason. But could there be a trade package that turns those rumors into solid reports that the Giants and another team like the Browns are close to getting a deal done?
If the Giants were to trade Beckham before the start of this season, it would be a $16 million cap hit instead of the $21 million he counts for this year. And, if a trade strikes, that team would have to take on his five-year, $90 million contract he signed last offseason with the Giants.
And the price is obviously going to be high considering the status Beckham has in the league. There is no doubt he is among the top five wide receivers in the league, and is arguably among the top three. He had a bounce-back season in 2018, eclipsing 1,000 yards for the fourth time in his career despite missing the final four games of the season.
So, with that in mind, here are a few trade packages that could intrigue GM Dave Gettleman and the Giants to move one of the best receivers in the NFL...
1) Browns send S Jabrill Peppers, G Kevin Zeitler, 2019 first-round pick, and 2020 first-round pick for Beckham
How does Gettleman make up for letting Landon Collins walk out the door? Get another safety just like him.
Peppers hasn't been playing at Collins' caliber, but the 23-year-old is a hard-hitter that has the ability to work special teams as a dangerous punt returner as well. The East Orange, NJ native had 79 tackles, one sack, one interception and five passes defended through 16 games last season. Peppers would be an immediate fill to Collins' void, and being back home, he could have more to prove having been the 25th overall pick back in 2017.
Benjamin Allbright was one of the main proponents in the Twitter explosion involving Beckham, and he was hearing "Zeitler and draft picks plus another player." Zeitler has been disappointing for the Browns, and he is set to be paid $10 million next season. The Browns are shopping him, and the Giants will be looking for O-line depth for sure.
Two first-round picks, a former first-rounder and much-needed O-line help is a pretty good package for Gettleman to bite on.
2) Browns send 2019 first-round pick to Giants, 2020 first-round pick to Cardinals, and Cardinals send QB Josh Rosen to Giants for Beckham
These rumors are crazy, so why not make crazy packages. Speaking of rumors, the Cardinals and new head coach Kliff Kingsbury are said to be all over quarterback prospect Kyler Murray, and they could use their No. 1 overall pick on him at the end of April. If that is their intention, their first-rounder in Rosen would be of no use to the team.
The Giants could also look to the draft and select Dwayne Haskins as Eli Manning's heir apparent. But, in this deal, they decide Rosen could be that man, and they get another first-round pick as well. At No. 17, would it be worth the Giants to select WR DK Metcalf, the Ole Miss product that some have compared to Julio Jones?
3) Jets send DE Leonard Williams, WR Robby Anderson, 2019 first-round pick, 2019 third-round pick for Beckham and 2019 first-round pick
In last year's draft, many believed the Giants would select Sam Darnold to be Beckham's quarterback for years to come. Well, he gets that chance with the Jets now in this case.
The Jets will be looking for more weapons this offseason, and Beckham would be the ultimate splash. The Giants, on the other hand, need more quarterback pressure, and with Williams not proving to be the big-time pass rusher the Jets had hoped, could find new purpose with Big Blue. Anderson also comes over to fill the void despite the Jets believing he can be a good option for Darnold considering their second-half chemistry.
And though the Jets also need to improve their pass rush, they will still have the No. 6 overall pick to choose from a good group of D-linemen in the draft. The Giants will also have a better pick at No. 3, so it works for both parties.
4) Raiders send S Karl Joseph, two 2019 first-round draft picks for Beckham
The Raiders are also said to be connected to the Beckham trade rumors, and they definitely have the draft picks to make it happen. Armed with three first-round picks following the trades of Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper, the Raiders spend them here on a prolific talent to give Derek Carr to work with.
And again, a safety fills the vacancy left by Collins. Joseph would be a good replacement considering he is only 25 years old and has three years of experience already. The roles also reverse with the Giants getting three first-round picks to work with in April.