© Kyle Terada | 2019 Oct 7
We’re doing this again?
Last season, the 49ers were close to trading for Odell Beckham Jr., and were reportedly “irritated” that the Giants didn’t listen to a counteroffer before shipping the three-time Pro Bowler to the Browns for Jabrill Peppers, the No. 17 overall pick and a third-round pick (No. 95 overall).
After a disappointing first season with Cleveland, the rumor mill is heating back up regarding Beckham, and that the Browns would be willing to ship him off for the right price. Marcus Thompson of The Athletic thinks the 49ers should explore what that price is, as he argued in a column on Sunday.
“A safer play — if the 49ers can meet the Browns’ trade price and also maneuver their payroll to fit Beckham’s $14.3 million cap hit for 2020 (after the Buckner trade they have a better shot of it) — would be to put Beckham in Shanahan’s offense. A more reliable gamble than drafting another receiver and hoping he hits just might be putting a known talent into this championship-caliber mix and banking on the 49ers bringing the best out of him. Beckham turns 28 in November, still young enough to not think he’s washed. It’s not that big of a gamble to assume he can be great again. And if he is, that’s good enough to make Garoppolo better.”
Thompson hopped on with Papa & Lund on Monday to discuss his take, and while he conceded it’s largely a pipe dream, he further argued why the 49ers need a veteran wide receiver.
“You swap out a vet in Emmanuel Sanders and you add another rookie, Deebo (Samuel) is in his second year, you’re hoping (Dante) Pettis becomes something, you’ve still got to see Jalen Hurd,” Thompson said. “I mean this is a super young receiving corps and I’m thinking about it from the perspective of Jimmy Garoppolo. Like we saw in the Super Bowl that he needs more weapons. He’s probably not the quarterback who’s going to turn average receivers and make them great because he’s great.
“He’s going to need some beasts out there and Odell Beckham is totally a pipe dream right? It’s totally like a fantasy. They would have to shave off cap money which they could do. It would be difficult but they could do it, they’ve got some salaries they could get rid of. But they need somebody who is good enough to uplift Jimmy Garoppolo.
“We saw a defense basically take away (George) Kittle, and say ‘Look, we’re just not going to let him beat us,’ and nobody else could like at least from a Kansas City perspective. It is a pipe dream.
If you come back with Jerry Judy, that’s a great rebound plan, but in my world, quarantine this and COVID-19, yeah that’s great, but I kind’ve want to see Odell, and I feel like after going through all this, I deserve to be treated special,” Thompson joked.
“Go get Odell, give me something to watch. Give me some fireworks, give me a show.”
Listen to the full interview below.