Odell Beckham Jr.’s time in Cleveland has not been the same affair as his elite wide receiver days in a New York Giants jersey. As a Browns receiver, Beckham has not been as productive.
In three years with Cleveland, he’s dealt with various injuries, including an ACL tear last year that ended his season early. While injuries are a valid reason why Beckham has not lived up to expectations since the trade from New York to Cleveland, when healthy, he has still not produced to the level expected.
One reason is that the Browns’ offense does not support a high passing volume attack with running backs Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt and now D’Ernest Johnson.
Another reason could be that Baker Mayfield and Beckham simply have not developed the necessary chemistry required between a quarterback and receiver.
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OBJ's father weighs in on reasons for Browns failures with Baker Mayfield
These factors, however, did not stop Odell Beckham Jr.’s dad, Odell Beckham Sr., from weighing in about trade rumors on social media. Beckham Sr. posted on Instagram that Baker Mayfield was not passing the ball to his wide open son on the field.
In the Instagram post, Beckham's dad links to a video that breaks down every potential play that Mayfield may have missed a wide open Beckham streaking down the field.
What did LeBron James say about Odell Beckham Jr?
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James also joined the fray tweeting, “#freeOBJ.” No doubt the amount of attention on Beckham’s usage will bring at least some additional pressure to Mayfield and the Browns’ locker room.
At the very least, Beckham’s days in Cleveland may be numbered, even if he is not dealt at the trade deadline.
NFL trade deadline: Latest on OBJ
Dianna Russini of ESPN reported that the probability of a trade out of Cleveland for Odell Beckham is very low. Beckham’s contract with the Browns runs until 2023, so any move would require the Browns to trade him because his 2021 season was fully guaranteed on the third day of the league year back in March.
So they cannot cut him until next season but are also unlikely to go this route given his potential trade value. The most likely scenario is that Beckham is traded by the deadline or after the 2021 NFL season.
“The Cleveland Browns have no plans on trading Odell Beckham Jr. by today’s trade deadline, per sources. I was told there haven’t been any offers that would make sense for the organization.”
The NFL trade deadline is 4:00 PM EST on Tuesday, November 2, 2021. Amid the potential flurry, Odell Beckham’s move out of Cleveland could be the biggest news if the Browns decide to pull the trigger.
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