Odell Beckham Jr. might be the most talented wide receiver in the NFL. He has speed, tremendous hands, and was the 12th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
He has played six years in the league, and in five of them, had over 1000 yards receiving. The only year he didn’t accomplish this milestone was 2017, when he played only four games due to injuries.
He came to the Browns this season in a deal which sent guard Kevin Zeitler, safety Julius Peppers, and a first round draft pick to the New York Giants. Cleveland also received DE Olivier Vernon in the transaction.
Yet, there are plenty of people in Cleveland who wouldn’t mind saying goodbye to the one time All Pro wide out after his first year with the Browns.
Looking at the numbers, there is no question Beckham’s career in on a downward path. He blaming Eli Manning for his declining stats while in New York, but his numbers dropped again playing with Baker Mayfield and the Browns.
His lowest receiving yardage was in 2019 in Cleveland.
After averaging 96 catches and 1374 yards in his first three years in the NFL, the last two complete seasons in the league have yielded an average of 76 receptions and 1044 yards.
That’s quite a drop-off, and you have to wonder did the broken ankle suffered in 2017 with the Giants take that much away from his game?
If so, that’s unfortunate. Since being drafted, only one wide receiver picked that year has caught more passes (Jarvis Landry) and only one has more receiving yards (Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans). That’ the kind of talent we are talking about.
Or is it his dedication to the sport where he gained his fame.
From wearing a watch during the season opener vs. Tennessee, to wearing the wrong visor in a game, to wearing a pair of shoes not permitted by the NFL’s dress code, you have to wonder what Beckham’s primary goal is right now?
And if we were Paul DePodesta, whoever the new GM will be, and Kevin Stefanski, that’s what we need to know.
Does Beckham want to be the best at his position in football, win a Super Bowl, and eventually get a gold jacket, or does he want to be just another famous athlete?
The incident at the National Championship game was just another attempt to make himself the center of attention, which should have gone to the players on LSU’s title team.
If the ankle injury did take its toll on his body, and he can no longer be someone who dominates at the wide receiver spot, then there isn’t much that can be done. The Browns traded a precious first round pick for someone who isn’t even the best wide receiver on the team.
Because right now, that’s Landry, who 83 balls for a career high 1174 yards in 2019.
A dedicated and healthy (and we might say a top fit) Beckham that can catch close to 100 passes in a season can be a huge part of Stefanski’s offense. The player we saw in ’19, who never seemed to be on the same page as the QB, and had to be told where to line up, even in the later stages of the season, well, we don’t know.
That latter guy is more of a distraction than an asset, and if there is one thing the Cleveland Browns don’t need is a player who takes away from the focus of winning football games.
That’s the decision Odell Beckham Jr. needs to make this season, and so does the Browns’ front office.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 