Should Colts explore Odell Beckham trade with Browns?

With the Nov. 2, trade deadline quickly approaching, it’s time for teams to assess what their rosters need before brokering deals to bring new players to town. For the Indianapolis Colts, they have a few needs, and one of them is at the wide receiver position.

In Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans, the Colts saw two receivers leave the game with injuries. T.Y. Hilton, who returned from a neck injury on Sunday, left the game with a quad injury, but is believed to be OK and will return to action soon. Parris Campbell, however, sustained a significant foot injury and will miss an extended period of time.

In addition to the injury-ridden receiver room, Hilton is playing on a one-year contract and has served as Indianapolis’ No. 1 wideout for the better part of the last decade. It has already been reported that the soon-to-be 32-year-old Hilton has previously considered retirement, so it’s no guarantee that he’ll be back with the team next season.

All things considered, it would be wise for the Colts to explore all options in bolstering their receiver unit for the foreseeable future. A good place to start looking is in the Cleveland Browns locker room. Could Odell Beckham Jr. be a realistic option here?

Colts should explore a trade for Odell Beckham Jr. if possible.

When the Browns traded for Beckham in 2019, it was one of the most intriguing moves in years. Everyone was excited to see him lineup alongside former college teammate Jarvis Landry and electric second-year quarterback Baker Mayfield. Unfortunately for Beckham and the Browns, the venture hasn’t been as explosive as anticipated.

In 2020, Beckham tore his ACL and the Browns were able to thrive without him. Since returning in 2021, it has been a national conversation about his lack of chemistry with Mayfield in the first four games they’ve played together.

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While Beckham nor the Browns have hinted at any sort of divorce, there’s a lot of noise surrounding the situation in Cleveland for yet another year, which could lead many to believe a trade isn’t out of the question within the next couple weeks.

The Colts should call Cleveland and gauge what’s going on. Beckham said he is happy winning with the Browns but he would be lying if he said he didn’t want more targets. Indianapolis can offer him a spot to get a lot of targets, and they can do it without hurting their finances.

After this season, Beckham has two years left on his contract and is due $15 million each season. The Colts have over $55 million in projected cap space for next season and over $124 million the following, so they can affordably bring in Beckham and secure themselves a quality receiver for at least two and a half seasons.

This move could be a win for everyone involved. The Browns, who showed they can win without Beckham, should get a valuable return for him. On the other hand, Beckham goes to a place where he will have a bigger role and make an obvious impact on the offense.

Then again, we have to be aware of general manager Chris Ballard’s unwillingness to inherit salary and part with assets. Though this match seems reasonable, it has plenty of obstacles to overcome.

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