UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa -- What started as an ordinary Tuesday night during Giants running back Saquon Barkley’s training trip in Los Angeles with teammates Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram changed in an instant.

That’s when Barkley’s phone rang and Beckham’s face popped up, minutes before the rest of the world found out that the superstar wide receiver had been traded to the Cleveland Browns. Beckham lives in Los Angeles during the offseason but reportedly was in Paris at the time of the trade.

“We talked over Facetime, he had just gotten traded, so I don’t think he was really happy about it,” Barkley told NJ Advance Media on Tuesday after Penn State’s Pro Day. “He just gave me some advice about how to handle stuff in the league. He was the same old big brother to me that he’s always been.”

Whether Barkley is inheriting even more of the targets in the passing game (Barkley was targeted 121 times in 2018, while Beckham was targeted 124 times in 12 games), or growing as a leader in the team culture head coach Pat Shurmur is trying to build, the Giants are now Barkley’s team.

The Beckham trade creates an offensive vacuum, given how popular and talented Beckham was.

Barkley matured during his rookie season, and the Giants likely will ask him to continue to grow into a prominent role --on and off the field -- when they return for the offseason program later this spring.

“I have to grow as a leader more,” Barkley said. "Whether it’s being a vocal leader or leading by example, it’s a team effort. We have to have other players grow as leaders, continue to believe in each other.”

Before the Giants chose Barkley with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Barkley and Beckham had become close friends. Beckham offered Barkley advice on how to be a professional and how to handle life in the New York market.

As it turns out, Barkley didn’t just lose a teammate, whom he wishes well the AFC North. The friends had neighboring lockers at Quest Diagnostics Training Center.

“I was sad to see him go,” Barkley said. “But, hopefully he continues to have a great career there in Cleveland.”

Matt Lombardo may be reached at MLombardo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattLombardoNFL