New York Giants fans are still reeling from the aftermath of their beloved franchise trading away a generational talent like Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns. The uproar among Beckham supporters is in the way Giants general manager Dave Gettleman has shared his plan to improve the roster.

Who’s kidding who, there is no line of communication. Zero…zilch…nada.

One minute, Beckham was untouchable, then the next, he was dealt away because the offer was too good to be true. What’s next or better yet, what will Gettleman share with us?

Suddenly, this April’s NFL Draft will be very telling in what direction the Giants are going. Its importance is just as big as when the franchise traded up to acquire Eli Manning from the then San Diego Chargers at the start of the 2004 draft. Gettleman must choose correctly or he runs the risk of being labeled the GM who dealt away OBJ in the prime of his career.

Let’s see examine where the Giants have been and where they’re going:

What Is the New York Giants Rebuilding Plan? Why Odell Beckham Jr. Was Traded

From my perspective, the Beckham trade is still perplexing because the Giants had to absorb dead cap space ($16 million) in the deal. It made no sense to sign Beckham to a $90 million contract ($65 million guaranteed) extension only trade him the following off-season. Gettleman would have been wiser to shop OBJ and create a bidding war when his trade value was at its highest last spring.

Full disclosure, I’m a Beckham supporter, but I came to the conclusion early that OBJ wasn’t going to finish his career with the Giants. His sudden outbursts and antics weren’t going to be tolerated once his skill level diminished on the field.

The facts don’t lie as Beckham’s production has been woefully disappointing in big games. He had too many dropped passes in key moments that kept the door open for an opposing team to come back and snatch victory away from the Giants.

The fans fully understand that Beckham has the type of talent that doesn’t come too often to a franchise. But if he wanted to play elsewhere, then the Giants had no choice but to trade him before he became more of a distraction this season. Partial blame on the disconnect must fall on Beckham as you cannot question your own commitment to a franchise after accepting their contract extension offer.

I’ve already commented on my disappointment with his interview with ESPN reporter Josina Anderson. OBJ should have been more open with the front office about his apprehension on the direction that the Giants were going. Everyone would have appreciated his frankness of not wanting to be a part of a rebuild in the prime of his career.

It was now or later, but the partnership between Beckham and the Giants was going to dissolve at some point in the relationship.

Dissecting Gettleman’s Biggest Mistake as GM

Are the Giants raising the white flag on the 2019 season?

Hardly, but if you watched them play last season, it comes as no surprise to anyone that there are plenty of holes on the roster besides the much-publicized struggles of the offensive line. Having four picks in the first 100 selections in this month’s draft allows Gettleman to prove his skeptics wrong. He must be more open about the next step in the rebuild or you give the impression that there’s no plan in place.

Gettleman’s biggest mistake in his first year at the helm was thinking the Giants were a few players away from contending for a playoff berth. Instead, it would have been smarter for Gettleman to share how he inherited a roster filled with bloated contracts that offered little salary cap flexibility to improve the product.

Granted, Gettleman rebounded nicely once the Giants hit rock bottom by starting the 2018 campaign at 1-7. It left him no choice but to trade high-priced players for multiple draft picks that gained necessary salary cap space. If Gettleman took the time to lay out his rebuilding plan, most Giants fans would have bought in because it offered a solid path back to contending for a playoff berth once again. With or without Beckham, the Giants were going nowhere fast.

What’s Next For The Giants

The play of last season’s defense was embarrassing, and it demanded immediate changes to be made to the lineup. The upcoming draft offers great depth on the defensive side of the ball, so predicting the Giants using both first-round picks on the defense isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

Gettleman was smart to insist Jabrill Peppers be a part of a package coming from the Browns in the Beckham trade. He is a younger, more athletic safety that fits perfectly in defensive coordinator James Bettcher’s aggressive scheme. Plus, Peppers’ rookie deal will help to lessen the blow from the salary cap hit by Beckham’s departure off the roster.

For the Giants, it’s all about drafting the right players that moves the rebuild in the right direction. Each draftee must show the potential that they could be the solution to the problem. If they can accomplish this, then it may ease the concerns of all Giants fans moving forward.