Giants co-owner says he was 'reluctant' to trade Beckham

Trading Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns does not appear to be a decision that was made lightly by the upper levels of Giants management.

As co-owner John Mara told ESPN's Jordan Raanan, there was at least some hesitance before giving the OK to the Giants' front office.

"I will tell you it was a reluctant approval on my part because I happen to like Odell (Beckham Jr.) very much, and I recognize the unique talent that he has," Mara said. "It's not easy to trade that player to another team."

The Giants stunned the sports world on the eve of free agency when they agreed to trade their superstar receiver to Cleveland for safety Jabrill Peppers and first- and third-round picks.

The deal, coming just one season after New York rewarded Beckham with a five-year contract that made him the NFL's highest-paid receiver, drew its fair share of criticism from the public.

"It's not going to be easy. I won't lie to you: It's not going to be easy," Mara said. "I mean, he is a great player, and I hope he has a great career with the Browns. It makes it a little easier that he's not in our conference."

Beckham appeared in 59 games after landing with the Giants as a first-round pick in 2014, racking up 5,476 yards and 44 touchdowns while earning three Pro Bowl appearances. He now joins Baker Mayfield and Jarvis Landry on an up-and-coming Browns team, while the Giants head into a clouded future centered around the difficult decision they now face at the quarterback position.