In Odell Beckham's second career game with the Cleveland Browns, he exploded for 161 yards and a touchdown in a blowout victory. He finished that year with over 1,000 yards, the fifth time he had done so in his career. In Week 4 of the 2020 season, he scored three times — twice through the air and once in a 50-yard run — in a thrilling 49-38 victory over the Cowboys.
This is to say that he can produce in the Cleveland Browns offense. It's just that he hasn't stayed healthy and, while he has had games like these, he's also had games that make you wonder why it's taking so long for his chemistry with Baker Mayfield to develop. In New York, he averaged 92.8 yards per game. In Cleveland, that figure is just 56.8. Different offenses, yes, but that's a significant difference.
So do we wait for the Mayfield-Beckham pairing to finally figure it out — and hope that OBJ stays healthy — seeing as the offense would be a whole lot more electric if you could combine the duo of star running backs with a bonafide WR1? Or have we waited too long for that to happen already, and it's best that we move on? According to longtime NFL exec Gil Brandt, who spent over three decades as a scout and executive with the Rams, 49ers and Cowboys, the Browns should go with the latter of those two options.
Now an NFL.com senior analyst, Brandt featured Beckham right off the bat in his list of nine players who should be on the trade block.
Cleveland could theoretically use Beckham's help at receiver, even with go-to option Jarvis Landry nearing his return from injured reserve. The trouble is, Beckham hasn't really produced yet in three games this season after missing much of 2020 with a torn ACL. Beckham posted solid -- if unspectacular -- numbers in 2019, logging 1,035 receiving yards and four touchdowns while finishing behind Landry in targets. But Beckham and Baker Mayfield have had a difficult time establishing a reliable connection in their time together. If they're not able to get on the same page in the immediate future, the Browns would be better off getting what they can for a player who should still attract plenty of interest, with a contract that is set to run through 2023. Cleveland's competitive window is wide open now, and further upgrading its improved defense could potentially help the team more than continuing to wait for Beckham and Mayfield to jell.
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You have to wonder which teams would be suitors for OBJ's services, but it wouldn't be all that difficult to find a team that is at least interested. Perhaps the New York Jets — who Brandt says should potentially look to trade safety Marcus Maye — would like to get their hands on OBJ to help Zach Wilson through what has been a rough start to this point. Perhaps the 49ers would do well to give Aaron Rodgers another deadly weapon on the outside in what looks to be an ideal season to make a Super Bowl run in the weak NFC North. And the list goes on.
According to NFL insider Jeff Howe, the thought is that this could very well be OBJ's last season with the Browns, though a trade would not be the ideal option out of Cleveland given that such a move "would yield minimal financial relief relative to the receiver’s potential within the offense if he improves." Regardless, it's something to look out for in the coming weeks.
The trade deadline is set for November 2.
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