This was not long after the stunning trade became official and the Giants knew they were getting back a young safety, Jabrill Peppers, as part of a mega-deal that shipped Odell Beckham Jr. to Cleveland. The phone belonging to James Bettcher, the Giants defensive coordinator, started buzzing.
Bettcher recalls it was “multiple text messages’’ from various Browns assistant coaches. Unsolicited, they offered their thoughts on what the Giants were getting in Peppers.
“It was not something I asked for,’’ Bettcher said Wednesday. “They said, ‘You’re gonna love him. We love him. He’s gonna work exceptionally hard.