What would Beckham cost the Vikings?
Acquiring Odell Beckham Jr. would not be cheap for the Minnesota Vikings. The Cleveland Browns gave up a lot to bring him in from the New York Giants and will not want to be short-changed.
If the Vikings are in the win-now mentality they claim to be, then this is a gamble worth taking. Perhaps the first-round pick that they acquired from the Stefon Diggs trade might be enough. But the Browns would undoubtedly want more.
No wide receiver selected with the No.22 pick is going to give you the sort of immediate production that Beckham would. The long-term prospects might be better but the window is closing rapidly. This year might be the last for a while that the Vikings have a realistic chance of securing the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Kevin Stefanski is no-doubt a big fan of Anthony Harris, who Minnesota is reportedly looking to trade after they placed the franchise tag on the safety to avoid him leaving for nothing in free agency. Including the Pro Bowler as part of any deal might also be an enticing prospect and make room for Beckham contract.
Giving up so much might not be in the Vikings’ best interests. They do have 12 NFL Draft picks next month and might be able to part with a few to acquire Beckham. This would also enable them to strengthen other areas such as cornerback.
It might be a long shot, but stranger things have happened in the NFL. The Vikings have not made a high-profile move like this since they traded for legendary defensive end Jared Allen, and that didn’t turn out too badly.