A Former NFL Executive Believes Odell Beckham Jr. Belongs With Tom Brady and the Buccaneers
Odell Beckham Jr. only appeared in seven games for the Cleveland Browns in 2020. The dynamic wide receiver tore his left ACL in Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals and required season-ending knee surgery.
Since the Browns played well and won a playoff game without Beckham Jr., some people around the NFL believe Cleveland should trade the three-time Pro Bowler this offseason and get draft picks in return.
If the Browns decide to trade Odell Beckham Jr., a former NFL executive believes the 2014 Offensive Rookie of the Year belongs with Tom Brady on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Odell Beckham Jr. hasn’t put up superstar numbers with the Browns
The Browns acquired Odell Beckham Jr. from the New York Giants on March 13, 2019. The trade reunited OBJ with Jarvis Landry, and the two wideouts were excited about playing together for the first time in the NFL.
Unfortunately for Beckham Jr. and Landry, the Browns struggled during the 2019 season. The team went 6-10, and Beckham Jr. and quarterback Baker Mayfield didn’t have the best rapport on the field. The former LSU star recorded 74 receptions for 1,035 yards and four touchdowns.
Mayfield and Beckham Jr. were motivated to make their partnership work in 2020 under new head coach Kevin Stefanski. However, things were still a little off between the two.
Before he tore his ACL in Week 7, Beckham Jr. only had 23 receptions for 319 yards and three touchdowns. He tore his ACL while attempting to chase down a Bengals defender following a Mayfield interception in Week 7.
The Browns finished the 2020 season with a record of 11-5. They defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round and only lost by five points in the Divisional Round to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Moving forward, the Browns are expected to compete for a Super Bowl, but it’s unknown if Odell Beckham Jr. will be on the squad next season.
The Browns “will listen” to trade offers for Odell Beckham Jr.
According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the Browns won’t “hang up the phone” if a team calls about Odell Beckham Jr. this offseason. OBJ is set to carry a cap hit of $15.8 million in 2021, with nearly $12.8 million placed in injury guarantees.
The Browns went 6-3 after Beckham Jr. got hurt last season. Baker Mayfield looked more comfortable throwing the ball, causing many to speculate that Cleveland is better off without OBJ.
Odell Beckham Jr. is one of the top receivers in the NFL. For whatever reason, he hasn’t looked happy with the Browns despite Jarvis Landry being on the team. If Cleveland is ready to part ways with OBJ or if the wideout requests a trade, ESPN’s Mike Tannenbaum says the Buccaneers should trade for the 28-year-old.
Mike Tannenbaum says OBJ belongs with Tom Brady and the Buccaneers
Former NFL executive Mike Tannenbaum, who works for ESPN now, says Odell Beckham Jr. belongs with Tom Brady and the Buccaneers. OBJ and Brady have a close relationship off the field, and everyone knows the former Giants superstar loves living in warm cities.
Interestingly, Tannenbaum claims Beckham Jr. can help the Buccaneers’ offense and defense.
“Odell Beckham makes the Tampa Bay Buccaneer defense much better, and here’s why. During trade negotiations, you ask for permission to speak to Odell and his agent, and you say hey look, come down here, help us repeat as Super Bowl champs, we need you to take less money because we’re trying to keep the group together. But if you win a Super Bowl with Tom Brady, that puts you back on the national conversation. You let Chris Godwin graduate, you take that savings, and now you keep Lavonte David, Shaq Barrett, Ndamukong Suh.
“So, Beckham is a better player than Godwin, and if you recruit him the right way, you can probably get him for less money. So, I think Beckham can actually help the other side of the ball and still keep you explosive on offense.”
It’s going to be fascinating to see if Odell Beckham Jr. gets traded this offseason. When he’s healthy, OBJ is still a huge difference-maker on the field and would make Tom Brady and the Buccaneers even more explosive on offense.
Stats courtesy of Football Reference.
