Odell Beckham Jr. has proved difficult for the Giants to re-sign. That also makes it harder for New York to trade Beckham, as the team thinks it should ask for everything and the kitchen sink in return.
That hasn't prevented trade rumors from swirling around the talented-but-mercurial wide receiver. The Rams have come up first and foremost for a potential coast-to-coast deal, but in reality, Los Angeles should be closer to last and least on that front.
LA has made trades like no other team this offseason, led by the acquisition of new starting cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib. The Rams also sent former Pro Bowl edge rusher Robert Quinn to the Dolphins and signed current Pro Bowl defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.
A Beckham deal would go straight to the top of that star-studded marquee, and wide receiver is a need for the Rams after they failed to re-sign Sammy Watkins. But two factors make such a move undesirable and unreasonable for the Los Angeles.
Adding Beckham to an already volatile personality mix with Peters, Talib and Suh might be much too much to handle. The Rams also need to worry about paying Aaron Donald, the best defensive player in the NFL, what he wants beyond 2018. Taking on another contract concern from the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, in which Beckham was selected one spot ahead of Donald, would put the Rams in a tough situation with running back Todd Gurley and quarterback Jared Goff needing big deals, too, in the near future.
MARVEZ: Beckham trade rumors are product of LA Rams' new vision
A trade for Beckham is realistic and warranted for only three other teams, all of which have the three elements needed to acquire him: enough wide receiver need, enough salary-cap space and enough comfort that they won't have same issues the Giants have had with him.
In reverse order, here are the teams that should consider going after Beckham most.
3. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts haven't been as active in NFL free agency as they had teased and as many expected. So far on offense, they've lost wide receiver Donte Moncrief and replaced him with former Redskins backup Ryan Grant. They also signed Eric Ebron to add to their pop at tight end behind Jack Doyle.
For now, beyond go-to guy T.Y. Hilton, Andrew Luck is returning to a wideout corps in which Grant and Chester Rogers are the next two most viable options. Seeing the Colts not push harder to sign Allen Robinson and Watkins, instead settling for Grant, was a head-scratcher.
A healthy shoulder is the first thing Luck needs to get back on track as a potentially elite QB who's worth his second NFL contract. The second is Indianapolis actually giving him all the support he needs to be successful.
The Colts' improving offensive line was addressed with the re-signing of Jack Mewhort, but both the receiving corps and the backfield still lack big playmakers beyond Hilton. With Hilton as a deep threat and an ace slot, Beckham as the complete go-to guy outside should have appeal.
For now, considering GM Chris Ballard's biggest offseason move has been the blockbuster draft-pick trade with the Jets, the Colts bending their philosophy for Beckham seems unlikely. That doesn't mean they shouldn't think about the opportunity for Luck's sake.
2. Cleveland Browns
The Browns are the one team that can almost match what the Rams have done with their bold offseason moves, led by the trades for quarterback Tyrod Taylor and wide receiver Jarvis Landry. Offensively, the Browns also signed running back Carlos Hyde and right tackle Chris Hubbard. And they still have a ton of cap room going forward.
Josh Gordon was retained as he keeps trying to rebuild his No. 1 wideout status, but with 2016 first-rounder Corey Coleman on the brink on flaming out, the Browns could use more help to complement Gordon outside and Landry in the slot. Beckham would turn what was the worst receiving corps in the league two years ago into the best.
Imagine Taylor working with that group now, then a young franchise QB like Sam Darnold or Josh Allen leaning on it in the near future. Given a higher-upside backfield, too, with Hyde joining Duke Johnson, this offense could be legitimately scary everywhere.
When the Falcons made the draft-day trade with the Browns to get Julio Jones at No. 6 in 2011, everyone at the time thought Cleveland would get the better of the deal with the five players it was able to select. Instead, Jones' elite play has maintained Atlanta's status as a dangerous offense six seasons later.
This is Cleveland's second chance to get a transcendent wideout from a top-10 pick. The Browns, with pick Nos. 1, 4, 33 and 35 overall, have plenty of ways to make the Giants happy and make Beckham happen.
It also doesn't hurt Cleveland just picked up Landry, Beckham's former receiving mate at LSU. Having such a friend around him, on and off the field, can be huge in helping Beckham rock in Cleveland.
DIAMOND: GM perspective on why Giants should trade OBJ ASAP
1. San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers just paid new franchise quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and extended current No. 1 wideout Marquise Goodwin — he and Pierre Garcon are signed through 2021. The team also splurged on running back Jerick McKinnon in free agency with the intent of giving him a feature role.
So San Francisco is fine offensively without Beckham, right?
Sure, the 49ers can get by and be productive under Kyle Shanahan, but Beckham would take things to a whole new level. The Rams, as revived rivals at the top of the NFC West, have thrown down defensively this offseason. It's in the 49ers' growing interest to get Garoppolo all he needs to live up to the hype around him. And they can afford the splash on Beckham.
Shanahan has said he doesn't need another Julio Jones-type for the 49ers, but Beckham, having thrived in the West Coast offense since he got to New York, would be spectacular in San Francisco. Like the Rams' Les Snead and the Browns' John Dorsey, John Lynch has proved he can be a aggressive general manager when needed. The 49ers are calculated even when working with a high cap number, and they can find ways to give Beckham an acceptable deal that's somewhat team-friendly.
When one considers a Beckham investment as a way to invest more in Garoppolo, it makes total sense. In contrast to the Browns with Taylor/a rookie and the Colts with Luck, the 49ers have the most certain QB situation to get the best out of Beckham.
