Browns reportedly don’t “plan” to trade Odell Beckham

[Chomps]

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At a time when many think the Browns will re-gift receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in the 2020 offseason, the Browns reportedly are throwing water on the possibility of a trade.

Which, obviously, does not mean Beckham won’t be traded.

First, the news: G.M. John Dorsey has told Beckham that the team doesn’t “plan” to trade him, via Ian Rapoport of the NFL.

Second, the analysis: Beyond the obvious implication of the presence of the term “plan,” how many teams have said they’re not going to trade a player before trading him? Recent examples include the Jaguars and Jalen Ramsey and the Giants and, yes, Odell Beckham.

The Browns have to say they’re keeping Beckham in order to get maximum compensation for him. That’s how the game is played. The best leverage in trade talks quite often is the ability to persuasively say, “Screw it, we’ll keep him.”

To make that work later, the Browns need to sell it now.