Players most often come and go based on their production, or lack thereof. Odell Beckham Jr. has come and gone from the Giants and his departure has nothing to do with what he achieved or failed to accomplish on the field.
The Giants cannot, and did not, look at all the catches and yards and touchdowns and jaw-dropping plays and convince themselves Beckham could have done more. Trading him to the Browns, a deal consummated late Tuesday and made official Wednesday afternoon, ultimately came down to two separate but connected issues: What they could get for Beckham compared with how much energy they had to expend to keep him around.
There is an Odell-ness to Odell Beckham Jr. and, after five years, it eventually ran its course for the Giants. Some inside the building feel a sense of relief that the superstar receiver will no longer bring unwanted attention to a franchise that did not necessarily grow sick of him but grew increasingly exhausted trying to keep up with the issues and notoriety that clung to him the way the football stuck to his huge right hand.
Beckham was a popular but often polarizing presence with a legion of fans in awe of his talent and at times frustrated with his antics. To the sick children he visited — without fanfare — and the youngsters sporting dyed blond hair he thrilled with autographs, selfies and dance moves, Odell was a comic book hero in a No. 13 jersey. To traditionalists preferring hand-the-ball-to-the-referee comportment, Beckham was a solo artist, gifted but self-absorbed. There are no fence-sitters with Beckham and his exit is a curse or a blessing, depending on your Odell-meter.....
