Who has more sway over Odell Beckham Jr.'s future in Cleveland: his own father, or the most influential athlete — and general figure — in the city's history?
Ultimately, it might not matter, as it looks like Odell Beckham Sr. and LeBron James are on the same page.
Shortly after Beckham Sr. reposted an 11-minute video, highlighting several examples of quarterback Baker Mayfield missing his son after he was able to gain separation from the defense and get open downfield — a video that even got NBA star Damian Lillard commenting about how crazy it was — LeBron shared his take on the matter.
OBJ has certainly been a true WR1 in the past, with three Pro Bowl nods and five 1,000-yard seasons under his belt, all but one of those coming in New York. But after joining Cleveland, his yards per game figure dropped to a then-career-low 64.7 in season one, then 45.6 in 2020, and it's now at a paltry 38.7 through the six games that he's played in 2021. Would a change of scenery be the key for OBJ to, in the words of LeBron, "show again why he's special?"
We might not be able to find out until next year. Multiple reports indicate that the Browns are not interested in moving OBJ despite the constant buzz surrounding his name.
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Interestingly enough, LeBron is a known Browns fan, so you'd think that he'd want his team to find a way to make the OBJ experiment work. However, it seems like he cares more about the wideout's individual success. Back in 2017, LeBron explained that the two are good friends.
"I just try to be a guidance to him and give him words of advice when he needs it and when he wants it," James said (via Dan Duggan, formerly of NJ.com). "He can reach out to me any time no matter what time or what the subject is and I just try to give him a piece of my knowledge. It's up to him however he wants to take it."
With hours left to take his advice, we'll see if OBJ makes any drastic moves — or if he even has a choice — when facing his future with/without Cleveland.
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