Giants Owner John Mara Was 'Reluctant' to Trade Odell Beckham Jr. to Browns
Giants co-owner John Mara said he was "reluctant" to trade wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the Browns, according to ESPN's Jordan Raanan. Beckham was sent to Cleveland on March 12 in exchange for safety Jabrill Peppers, a first-round pick and a third-round pick.
"I will tell you it was a reluctant approval on my part because I happen to like Odell [Beckham Jr.] very much, and I recognize the unique talent that he has," Mara said at the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix. "It's not easy to trade that player to another team... I hope he has a great career with the Browns. It makes it a little easier that he's not in our conference."
Beckham signed a five-year, $95 million contract extension with the Giants in August 2018. The LSU product has been one of the NFL's most electrifying receivers since entering the league in 2014, tallying 390 receptions and 44 touchdowns in 59 career games.
New York finished last in the NFC East in 2018 at 5–11. The Giants ranked No. 16 in points per game as quarterback Eli Manning threw 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Manning will be in the final year of his contract in 2019.
