Cleveland Browns receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was excused from practice for a second consecutive day Thursday, a clear sign that the franchise has reached a crossroads with its polarizing wideout.
This decision comes just two days after Beckham's father posted a video on Instagram that highlights moments when Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield failed to complete passes to his wide-open son. On Wednesday, head coach Kevin Stefanski reportedly told players that Beckham won't be with the team for the remainder of this season.
"My guess is, they tried to trade him, and there were no takers," former NFL player and NFL Network analyst Shaun O'Hara told The DA Show on Thursday. "It's like having a garage sale, and it's like, 'I tried to sell this couch, nobody wanted it. Now I have to carry it down to the end of the street and just give it away and get it out. Done with it.' Just because something that once was a comfortable couch, doesn't necessarily mean other people want to sit on it...
"There's a business side of the game, which is always ugly. But you can't complain about it when your direct deposit has a comma or two in it... With regard to Odell, his dad, and Baker, haven't we seen this movie before? Didn't we see this when he left the Giants and was trashing Eli?... This whole drama stuff from OBJ, we've seen this movie before, heard it before. This is a rerun."
Beckham, who's battled a shoulder injury this season, was essentially a non-factor in the Browns' 15-10 home loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday, as he recorded just one catch for six yards on one target. In six games, he's racked up 17 receptions for 232 yards and no touchdowns, and ranks 151st in the league in receptions per target and 139th in receptions per route run.
If the Browns are compelled to part ways with Beckham during the offseason, it wouldn't hurt them financially. Although the three-time Pro Bowler is under contract through 2023, he carries no guaranteed money across the next two seasons, per Spotrac. By releasing or trading Beckham in 2022, the franchise would save $15 million on its salary cap.
Cleveland (4-4), which sits in fourth place in the AFC North, will visit the rival Cincinnati Bengals (5-3) on Sunday. According to FiveThirtyEight projections, the Browns currently have a 33-percent chance to reach the playoffs and just a 10-percent chance to win the division.
The entire NFL conversation between O'Hara and DA can be accessed in the audio player above.
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