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Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry are buddies. College teammates at LSU who have enjoyed tremendous success during parallel NFL careers. Last season, when it was rumored that the Miami Dolphins were shopping Landry, Beckham lobbied the Giants to “Gimme my brother back.”
Well, here we are again. The Dolphins have placed the franchise tag on Landry, at an estimated value of $16.23 million for the season. Apparently, Miami wants to ship Landry out of town rather than sign him to a long-term deal.
The most important meeting the #Dolphins will have in Indianapolis relative to Jarvis Landry will involve talks with some other team to try trading him. Because that’s what they want to do.
— Armando Salguero (@ArmandoSalguero) February 26, 2018
Is it realistic to think that the New York Giants could make Beckham and Landry teammates again? It is an enticing thought. Landry, Beckham, Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram causing all manner of match-up nightmares for opposing defenses.
The price, at least to make a trade, doesn’t appear to be unreasonable with “the likely compensation, multiple NFL people are saying, would be perhaps a third-round pick. Or maybe a low second-rounder. Or maybe a player.”
Problem is, making it happen doesn’t seem like something the Giants would be able to do financially. Both guys want to get PAID. And both deserve to get paid. Whether that is now or a year from now.
Beckham is, well, Beckham. He is a special talent. Landry (400 receptions, 4,038 receiving yards) holds the NFL records for the first four years of a receiver’s career in both categories.
Let’s suppose for a minute that the Giants somehow acquired Landry. They would have to sign him to a long-term deal that would probably exceed the $17 million average annual salary the game’s current highest-paid receiver, Antonio Brown, gets. Then, they would have to pay Beckham more than that.
Do that, how do the Giants pay Landon Collins? How would they have money to upgrade the offensive line in free agency? Find a linebacker?
Besides, there is also the idea of building your roster properly. From inside out, not spending all your money on flashy toys you can’t maximize because you don’t have time to let them get open.
This, in my view, is one of those things that might be nice to dream about but there doesn’t seem to be a realistic way to make it happen.