NFC East news: OBJ wanted to stay in New York, Marshon Lattimore not at OTAs for Washington

Here is the latest news from around the division.

Odell Beckham Jr. says he ‘never, ever wanted to leave the New York Giants – Jonathan X. Simmons, Cleveland.com

Apparently OBJ always wanted to stay in NYC.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — In March of 2019, Odell Beckham Jr. was traded alongside defensive lineman Olivier Vernon to the Browns for a package that included safety Jabrill Peppers, offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler and Cleveland’s first- and third-round draft picks in 2019.

Giants fans did not want to see Beckham leave.

During an appearance Saturday on the UEFA Champions League final broadcast on Paramount Plus, Beckham revealed that the feeling was mutual.

“I never, ever wanted to leave the New York Giants,” Beckham Jr. said. “The reason you heard me talking about what was going on was because I was p—ed because, where I come from in college, if we lost one game, our season was over.

“This was the organization I got drafted to. They believed in me. So if the Giants went and won a Super Bowl, I would be happy. But deep down inside, I wanted to be the one. No question. So it’s definitely you’ll always hold that. But then someone like me, I went to the LA Rams, won a Super Bowl. But still, you just want that.”

From his famous one-handed catch against the Cowboys as a rookie to becoming the fastest player to reach 200 career receptions and 4,000 receiving yards, Beckham burst onto the NFL scene in remarkable fashion.

But after a knee injury, multiple fines for his on-field actions and a series of unwanted headlines and attention due to his off-field antics, the writing was on the wall for the No. 12 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.

After signing a five-year, $90 million contract extension with the Giants, Beckham Jr. didn’t last seven months in New York before being traded to Cleveland.

After two full seasons in Cleveland, the three-time Pro Bowler won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022.

Eagles trade Bryce Huff to 49ers: Grades for each team after pass rusher spent one season in Philadelphia – Bryan DeArdo & Zachary Pereles, CBS Sports

Philadelphia had to rectify one of their mistake signings.

The Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers have agreed on a trade that sends pass rusher Bryce Huff out west in exchange for a conditional 2026 fifth-round pick that could turn into a fourth-round pick based on Huff’s performance, per CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones. The deal is pending a physical.

Reports of a potential trade surfaced on May 30, though the deal could not be processed until after June 1. Both sides had been working to make the deal happen, with Huff reworking his contract to help facilitate it.

Huff, 27, will be reunited in San Francisco with 49ers defensive coordinator, Robert Saleh, who was Huff’s coach with the New York Jets from 2021-23. Huff joins linebacker Chazz Surratt and punter Thomas Morstead, who have joined the 49ers from the Jets over the past week.

A former undrafted rookie, Huff enjoyed a breakout season in 2023, recording a career-high 10 sacks despite not starting in a single game that season.

So, who won the trade? Let’s find out by taking a look at our trade grades for both teams.

Eagles: B-

While Howie Roseman is one of the best in the business, no general manager has a perfect batting average. Roseman took a gamble when he signed Huff to a three-year, $51.1 million deal last offseason, and it was a gamble that clearly didn’t pay off.

Last year, Huff recorded just 2.5 sacks and 13 tackles while making $17.25 million. Philadelphia, instead of hoping for more in 2025, decided to cut its losses now. The Eagles will still have to take on $9.05 million in salary, but the 49ers have agreed to pay the remaining $7.95 million that Huff was guaranteed for the upcoming season, according to ESPN’s report.

Paying a player over $9 million to play for someone else is obviously not ideal, but the Eagles deserve some credit for finding a team that was willing to take on a significant portion of Huff’s salary while also getting a mid-round pick in return. It should also be noted that the Eagles did win the Super Bowl last year, so while last offseason’s signing of Huff was a miss, it didn’t prevent Philadelphia from winning its second Lombardi Trophy in eight years.

Marshon Lattimore no-showed Commanders OTAs and sent worst message possible – Dean Jones, RiggosRag.com

Washington’s acquisition from last year is a no-show at OTAs.

There are a few notable absentees for Phase 3 of the Washington Commanders’ offseason program. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin’s decision not to participate in organized team activities as he awaits a new contract took the spotlight, but another veteran skipping the process shouldn’t be overlooked either.

It’s worth remembering that being at OTAs is voluntary. The Commanders got full attendance last year as everyone bought into head coach Dan Quinn’s culture shift immediately. That wasn’t the case this time around, which brings cornerback Marshon Lattimore firmly under the microscope.

Lattimore was acquired by the Commanders via trade from the New Orleans Saints just before the 2024 deadline. Big things were expected of the four-time Pro Bowler, but he never came close to meeting these expectations.

Marshon Lattimore sent the wrong message with Commanders OTAs no-show

There were mitigating circumstances attached. Lattimore came into the Commanders with a hamstring injury that he never shook off effectively enough. There were some brief moments of promise, but nothing more. Despite a rough introduction, those in power are confident he can thrive once the issue heals and he gets a full summer within Washington’s schematic concepts.

Lattimore should have been chomping at the bit to get back involved and silence his doubters. The former first-round pick opted to prepare away from the team instead.

Perhaps the hamstring injury needs extra time. Perhaps Lattimore is avoiding the risk of unnecessary damage to the problem when there is so much at stake in 2025. Perhaps he’s looking for a new deal, which isn’t going to arrive based on last season’s efforts.

Either way, Lattimore showing up for OTAs would have sent the right message. Urgency is high to progress next season and show the world why he was one of the league’s best shutdown presences on the boundary once upon a time. There is also increased competition in the cornerback room following the additions of Jonathan Jones and Trey Amos, although his spot doesn’t seem in any immediate danger.