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On paper, the Cleveland Browns are one of the most talented teams in the NFL. But the game is played on grass, not on paper.
And sadly for the team’s most famous wide receiver, it’s played in 2021, not 2016.
The Odell Beckham Jr. experiment was a failure in Cleveland. We were reminded of this when the old the superstar had just 20 of the team’s 531 total yards in a heartbreaking 47-42 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
Beckham isn’t the Browns’ biggest problem. Their defense gave up 27 first downs and 47 points against the Chargers. They were vulnerable in the air, couldn’t stop LA in the red zone, and quarterback Baker Mayfield wasn’t himself while facing a partially torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder. .
The Browns are still a factor in the AFC at 3-2. However, they missed a chance to beat defending AFC champions Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1. They also underperformed in their home win over the lowly Houston Texans, n ‘ scored just 14 points last week against the Minnesota Vikings and their defense has been torn apart. except Sunday.
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They are likely to lose two games behind the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North when Baltimore hosts the Indianapolis Colts 1-3 on Monday night, and they have their hands full with the expanding Cincinnati Bengals. Right now, you can’t put them in the same range as Kansas City, Baltimore and the Buffalo Bills in the AFC or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Arizona Cardinals or Los Angeles Rams in the NFC.
How do they change this? The coaching staff will no doubt be working on adjustments, and the return of several key injured players could help. But if Beckham doesn’t count much on offense, the front office should consider trading him in a bid to improve elsewhere.
The Browns don’t trade ammo on defense, and Mayfield is the guy under center no matter what this season. General manager Andrew Berry won’t have much of a way to improve his squad with big good strides by the NFL trade deadline on November 2, but Beckham’s trade makes more sense.
They are a race-focused team that also have Rashard Higgins, David Njoku and Austin Hooper in the passing catcher corps and are expected to recover five-time Pro Bowl veteran Jarvis Landry from a knee injury soon. After a two-week spell in which he caught just four passes on 10 targets for 47 yards, Beckham is consumable. Mayfield hardly ever looks his way, and the two have established virtually no chemistry in their two-plus years together. despite their insistence otherwise.
We saw it when Cleveland went 6-3 after suffering a season-ending knee injury last season, and we’re seeing it again now. But no matter how often Mayfield targets him, it’s obvious Beckham isn’t the superstar he used to be.
Beckham has scored just 16 total touchdowns since the start of the 2017 season, and he hasn’t found the end zone for over a year. He was at his best in his first three seasons with the New York Giants, but a myriad of injuries apparently wore him out at the age of 28.
As a result, OBJ is no longer worth what it once was in the commercial market. The Browns gave up two strong starters, a first-round pick and a third-round selection in their 2019 trade for Beckham and defenseman Olivier Vernon, but it’s now a sunk cost.
Still, Beckham has been an elite No.1 wide receiver, so another team will likely think that can bring him back to where he was several years ago. This is a low buy opportunity for a player with no guaranteed money on his contract beyond this season and is by no means old.
A Beckham trade alone won’t fix the Browns. It will not turn them into a top competitor. But the secondary was crushed by injuries, and they could also use more teeth up front on D. If they can flip OBJ for an established advantage or more depth on that side of the ball, it will be a lot easier. for Kevin Stefanski’s coaching staff to fully right a somewhat finicky ship before his team begins their divisional schedule against the low. but not the Pittsburgh Steelers on Halloween.
Which teams might be interested in such an agreement?
The Green Bay Packers might immediately spring to mind, and for good reason. He is a competitor who lacks talent beyond Davante Adams in this position. Adams’ presence means Beckham wouldn’t be option # 1 in the Green Bay offense, and Aaron Rodgers would probably like to see what he could get out of it.
The New Orleans Saints are also trying to stay in the Super Bowl conversation during the first year of the post-Drew Brees era. They would benefit from adding a player like Beckham to the mix, especially with all-star Michael Thomas continuing to recover from a major ankle injury.
The San Francisco 49ers placed tight end George Kittle in the injured reserve this week and may be desperate to save their season after a 2-3 start. It also wouldn’t be the first time the 49ers have been linked with Beckham.
The Browns are less likely to trade Beckham within their division or even their conference, but the Denver Broncos could also be desperate and face key receiver-level injuries. The Indianapolis Colts are trying to save their season and may try to give Carson Wentz another weapon as veteran No.1 TY Hilton suffers from a knee injury. And it’s been over a decade since the New England Patriots had a top-notch receiving corps, so that needs to be taken into consideration as well.
The Browns should be looking for a defensive starter, a quality save and / or a midrange pick. They shouldn’t be too picky.
Beckham is not helping this team. But that could change quickly if the Browns capitalized on his reputation in the trading market.
Brad Gagnon covered the NFL for Bleacher Report since 2012. Follow him on Twitter: @Brad_Gagnon.
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