The Browns have lost wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. for the season thanks to a torn ACL, and Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network says there is a “very real possibility” that OBJ has played his last game for Cleveland (video link).
Of course, this is not the first time we have heard reports that Beckham’s days with the Browns could be numbered. Towards the end of his disappointing first season in Cleveland in 2019, it was reported that Beckham wanted out and that he had approached opposing players and coaches before (and even during) games and told them, “come get me.” His name cropped up in trade speculation again in the spring, but team sources refuted the notion that OBJ could be on the move, just as they did a few months later.
It would be a stretch to suggest that the Browns are a better team without Beckham, who is a premium talent. But it’s also true that QB Baker Mayfield performed well as a rookie in 2018 without Beckham, struggled in 2019 with him, and was terrific in a win over the Bengals last week after Beckham left the game due to injury. There are a whole host of explanations that have nothing to do with Beckham, but as Rapoport observes, OBJ has never really embraced Cleveland and has never developed a rapport with Mayfield, who often looks as though he is trying to force-feed the ball to his star wideout.
Beckham cannot really be traded until the spring or summer of 2021. $12MM of his 2021 salary will become fully guaranteed in March, before he will be recovered from his ACL injury. After that, though, all of his guarantees will have been paid out, and the rest of his contract looks quite palatable for an interested team (Beckham is due to earn $14.5MM in 2021 and $13.75MM in 2022 and 2023, with $1MM roster bonuses and $250K workout bonuses each season).
So depending on how the rest of the year goes for the Browns — who are sitting at 5-2 and have a very favorable schedule the rest of the way — OBJ may find himself on his third team before the 2021 season begins.
As funny as it sounds to say, I believe Baker would be a better QB without a star reciever. Statistically he’s excelled spreading the ball around to different guys. That’s not a knock on OBJ, and to my knowledge OBJ has never been demanding of the ball. I’d imagine as a QB you feel a certain pressure to go to a WR with that type of talent though because of what he can do.
I think Bakers long term success is limited regardless , however I agree ..
Trade him for a MLB/OLB, safety, or even CB. Don’t let the numbers fool you, even though we lead league in takeaways our defense is atrocious besides Myles (30th pass defense)!! Defense wins games, not a star WR.
But yes Baker’s consistently disappointing, that doesn’t help either.
Disappointing? Maybe, maybe not, but it’s anything but consistent. He did have five touchdowns last week, remember that?
Mayfield isn’t bad. The hatred towards him is easy to trace, given some of his past comments/actions, but as a player I really cannot see the negativity. Sure, he makes mistakes and forces plays, but I hardly think that he is worse than at least half of the league’s starters just judging his individual play on the field. I’m really not sure what the specific criticisms are of him that make him the reason for blaming him when the defense is second to last in the league. The Browns still have a ways to go before their team develops a winning identity and meshes with the talent that they have, but Mayfield certainly is not the issue holding them back.
Didn’t see Baker playing so much better today without OBJ. What I did see was the defense looking absolutely pitiful. Tired of hearing the OBJs last game with the Browns comments. Will the Media ever get tired of this crap.
^^^Agreed
Baker doesn’t move the chains. He’s in his third year and hasn’t shown any progression. Forget the personnel changes this guy is not an NFL quarterback. third straight at best. Clipboard.