Browns: What an Odell Beckham to Tampa Bay trade needs to include

The Browns would be wise to consider trading Odell Beckham to the Buccaneers if they’re interested but would need these players in return.

ESPN’s NFL reporter Jeff Darlington believes that Odell Beckham could be on the move, and to all places, Florida’s Title Town. That’s right, the city that houses the two-time Stanely Cup-winning and defending Lightning and the two-time Super Bowl-winning and defending Buccaneers could be the future home of one Odell Beckham Jr.

Darlington appeared on Thursday’s edition of Get Up and shared his opinion that Beckham would be a name that Tampa Bay would pursue with the uncertainty over Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown returning in 2021.

Now there are some who are going to see Beckham as the “name” and not the “talent”. Beckham isn’t the guy anymore. He hasn’t been for nearly five years. He’s a shell of his former self, racked by injuries and poor decisions, Beckham’s career is never going to rebound and return to form. He might have better seasons than his 2019 campaign, but he’s not the same guy he was at 23.

It’s time to move on from him.

Originally, the Browns sent Jabrill Peppers, a first-round pick and a third-round pick to get Beckham. Can the Browns recoup that haul? Well, it depends because worth and value is subjective. Does a first-round pick mean the same at 32nd as it does at 17th? Would a flyer in the third round do for a team as much as a player with proven upside?

My trade proposal will feature no draft picks coming or going, just two starters and two backups with potential.

Despite not having any draft picks coming or going, this still might be too rich for Beckham, but it’s worth trying. The trade, in one fell swoop, helps the Browns deal with four different positions of need.

With Vita Vea, the Browns get an aggressive, quick, and fluid defensive tackle who can rush through the interior. With Antoine Winfield, you either get a slot corner or safety who can start right away in Joe Wood’s defense. Helping secure the defense is linebacker Anthony Nelson. He’s not the fastest guy but he could be someone who sneaks his way into greatness if given a shot. Lastly, you improve the offense’s lack of speed with Scott Miller, easily one of the five fastest players in the NFL today.

Now, this trade is about potential because while Winfield played well, he played on a team that got after the quarterback easily. The Browns aren’t a great pass-rushing team. Can Winfield still look good when he’s getting tested every other play? Winfield isn’t better than Jabrill Peppers, who the Giants wanted in the original Beckham trade, and it’s not that unfathomable to believe that the Buccaneers would send back two starters when the Browns, in essence, sent over three to the Giants.

Beckham’s value has depreciated, and this trade feels reflective and honest of Beckham’s new normal.

If you had to choose though, Vea is a proven commodity and would be the obvious pick between Winfield and him. While the safeties need improvements, the defensive front is atrocious in Cleveland. It’s very possible three of the four starters from 2020 are gone in 2021.

And probably should be. So if you had to pick either Winfield or Vea, you go with Vea.

Miller and Nelson are non-negotiable. Mack Wilson is clearly not long for the team, B.J. Goodson probably won’t be brought back unless the team fails in every way to improve the position, Sione Takitaki bombed in his attempt to take a starters spot and Jacob Phillips was barely below-average on his best days and he was the best of the bunch. So you need Nelson if only to see if he can play slightly better than the rest of them.

Miller is the speedster element the Browns are lacking, and the hope is that he can come in and really stretch the offense either as a speed Brandon Stokely type in the slot or as the legitimate number two across from Jarvis Landry.