Could it finally be happening? Are we finally going to see OBJ in a San Francisco 49ers uniform?
Heading into the 2019 offseason, one of the biggest names being mentioned in trade rumors was then-New York Giants wideout Odell Beckham Jr. And many of those rumors had him heading out west, to join the Niners.
At the time, the Giants wanted San Fran’s number two overall pick in the upcoming draft in exchange for OBJ. But, as we all know by now, the Niners declined and used the pick on Ohio State’s Nick Bosa, instead. And all Bosa did was help lead the team to an appearance in Super Bowl 54.
As for the Giants, they ended up trading Beckham to Cleveland for players and picks.
(Maybe put up a graphic of the trade: Beckham and Olivier Vernon for Jabrill Peppers, Kevin Zeitler, and a 1st and 3rd in 2019.)
And, as you probably know by now, year one for Beckham in The Land was a bit of a disaster.
The team underachieved, while Beckham had one of the worst statistical seasons of his career. And to make matters worse, there were reports floating around that he was telling opposing players and coaches to “come get me outta here.”
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Because of this, we enter another offseason with Beckham’s name once again popping up in countless trade rumors…and again, it’s the Niners at the forefront of it all.
Trusted analysts like Jay Glazer have tried to tell us that a deal for Beckham between the Browns and 49ers is not in the works, but it’s hard to believe that the possibility doesn’t still exist.
San Fran lost one of its top wideouts in Emmanuel Sanders during the start of free agency, but they did acquire an additional first round draft pick (13th overall) from the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for stud pass-rusher Deforest Buckner.
It’s believed that they’ll use that pick on a wideout, in what’s said to be one of the deepest drafts ever at the position…But why not use the pick on an established Pro Bowl receiver instead?
Sure, it would be great to hit on a franchise wideout with the 13th overall pick — and get to pay that guy on a rookie contract for at least the first few years of his career – as opposed to dealing with Beckham’s nearly-15-million dollar cap hit for each of the next four seasons. But the Niners are in win-now mode. They’re coming off a trip to the Super Bowl! Their time is now. So why not get yourself a receiver that you KNOW can help you WIN right NOW.
The Niners already have enough young talent at the wideout position. 2019 second round pick Deebo Samuel only seemed to get stronger throughout his impressive rookie season. And they’re still trying to figure out if 2019 third-round-pick Jalen Hurd or 2018 second-round-pick Dante Pettis can emerge as a viable top-3 receiving option.
Point is, they have so many young question marks at the wideout position already. Why add another with a first round pick in 2020, when you can use that pick on OBJ instead?
Glazer says the Niners want to accumulate draft capital, rather than trade it away. But after watching quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo falter down the stretch in Super Bowl 54, the team should be more concerned with giving him the help he needs NOW.
It’s simple: with one of their first round picks, another mid round pick in 2021, and possibly a roster player, the Niners can add one of the league’s elite playmaking receivers in his prime. This would give them a dynamic passing game to go along with one of the league’s best ground attacks and the NFL’s best pass rushing unit.
That right there is a recipe to cure any possible Super Bowl hangover. Now all the Niners have to do is go and pull the trigger on this draft day trade for OBJ.
Do you think the Niners should trade for Odell Beckham Jr?
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