This Patriots-Browns Trade for Odell Beckham Jr. Could Actually Work

The Cleveland Browns have gotten off to an spectacular start this offseason by pulling off signings like tight end Austin Hooper, offensive lineman Jack Conklin, safety Karl Joseph, linebacker BJ Goodson, defensive tackle Andrew Billings, and quarterback Case Keenum.

We've yet to hear how these moves sit with wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who was reportedly plotting a move out of Cleveland during postgame interactions with fellow stars around the NFL last season.

General manager Andrew Berry has showcased a fearlessness that we haven't seen displayed in the Browns front office for ages. Therefore, it's not out of the realm of possibility that he decides to grant Beckham's supposed wishes. There are a number of teams that could use WR help, but let's keep this discussion focused on the New England Patriots, who were reportedly interested in acquiring Beckham before the New York Giants traded him to Cleveland in 2018.

Beckham signed a five-year, $90 million contract with the Giants in 2018. He has four years remaining on that deal and carries a $14.25 million cap hit for the 2020 season.

That makes things complicated here in that the Patriots, per Over the Cap, only have $785,916 in cap space to work with. Therefore, New England would need to shed salary in this deal or just make a couple of moves beforehand. Releasing wideout Mohamed Sanu and his $6.5 million cap hit would be a great start.

The Patriots would then have some room to breathe. Including cornerback Jonathan Jones, who carries a cap hit of just under $6 million next season, and offensive lineman Marcus Cannon (and his $9.62 million cap hit) could be enough to get a deal done. New England also has a haul of mid-round picks, so perhaps tossing in a third-rounder and a seventh-rounder could get this done. That would give the Browns a lot to work with in terms of deepening their roster.

Cleveland is still searching for help at cornerback and on the offensive line. The team would fill those needs while offloading a wideout who was unable to get his footing in his debut season with the Browns (in addition to being a gigantic headache off the field). As for the Patriots, they'll acquire a superstar WR in the prime of his career to potentially pair with Cam Newton, assuming he's acquired in due time, and BOOM, their window to win remains open. If that doesn't happen and the Patriots decide to roll with Jarrett Stidham, the young QB will have one of the best in the game to work with to help his progression and confidence.

Who says no?