Even a cursory glance at this website’s past content involving the Cleveland Browns will yield a lengthy list of results. We follow the Browns closely here for a few reasons, not the least of which includes them being extremely compelling for their incredible ineptitude. It’s fun to follow the Browns for the same reasons it’s fun for some folks to watch The Bachelor—the train wreck is so fascinating, one cannot turn away. So writing about the idea that the Browns should trade for disgruntled superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was simply too rich to pass up.
Beckham is angling for a new contract and is threatening to sit up the 2018 season to get it. He’s absolutely earned it. As stated by Yahoo! Sports, Beckham’s averages over his first three seasons were 107 catches, 1,534 yards and 13 touchdowns. Compare that to Jerry Rice’s prime, where he made 10 All-Pro teams in 11 seasons from 1986-1996, his averages of 94-1,437-14 are on par, if not slightly worse than Beckham’s. It’s hard to argue against his production, especially with Eli Manning as his quarterback. But the new contract he’s seeking will certainly be north of what Mike Evans just received from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: five years, $82.5 million with $55 million guaranteed.
The Browns just traded for Odell’s close friend and college teammate Jarvis Landry, who himself is in need of a new deal. The Miami Dolphins franchised Landry before shipping him to The Land, a temporary measure used by teams looking to buy time before making a long-term commitment to a player. Knowing this, dealing for Beckham would mean Cleveland would be on the hook for not one, but TWO monstrous contracts for wide receivers in the coming year.
Sidebar: That won’t stop Landry from recruiting his boy though.
Come to the @Browns reunite me with my brother @OBJ_3 #13 #80 https://t.co/EW4oJEkqgF
— Jarvis Juice Landry (@God_Son80) March 26, 2018
“WE WANT BECKHAM”
— Jarvis Juice Landry (@God_Son80) March 26, 2018
#CLEVELAND @OBJ_3 https://t.co/0uBDKFXGvQ
— Jarvis Juice Landry (@God_Son80) March 26, 2018
This is not how winning franchises build their teams. The only benefit to going 1-31 in your last two seasons is having a clean slate to construct your ideal franchise from the ground up. Smart teams generally build around their quarterback, offensive line, defensive line and secondary. Dumping that much money into two receivers would land the Browns right back into the Sadness Factory. And why part with draft capital to make Beckham the highest paid receiver in the league when he can’t even stay on the field? He’s missed 17 games in his first four seasons; in other words, he’s missed a whole season due to various injuries.
Even though he plays primarily in the slot, you could justify Landry’s deal because he’s a dependable grinder that will show up and put his all into every practice and game. OBJ’s talent absolutely justifies his payday, but his antics on and off the field have begun to wear thin in New York. The ridiculous celebrations, the boat trip/playoff no-show combo, losing his mind against Josh Norman, the alleged photo of OBJ (his nickname should still be ODB, but whatever) with what looks like could be cocaine and the recent bitching about his contract are just a few examples of Beckham showing his true colors. Beckham is a “me” guy to the fullest. That’s fine in small doses, but how would the Browns know that behavior wouldn’t rub off on Landry? Or worse, IF he does happen to use coke recreationally, would Cleveland want that receiver within three football fields of Josh Gordon, who has battled substance abuse for years and was just reinstated into the NFL late last season?
A locker room filled with impressionable young players isn’t the place for a guy with Beckham’s effervescent personality. The last drop of veteran leadership in Cleveland just walked out the door when Joe Thomas retired. Even with Tyrod Taylor’s presence, having Beckham (and Landry AND Gordon) would be unfair to any rookie QB coming into Cleveland from a locker room management standpoint, though the prospect of the trio on the field together is enticing. Sure, the Browns desperately need an electrifying player that can strike fear in the hearts of a defense, which is exactly why they should draft Saquon Barkley.
Though the shop-a-holic L.A. Rams are said to be interested in him, Beckham would be a great fit for another AFC North team—the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens have been looking for a true no. 1 receiver for about a long as the Browns have been looking for a quarterback. Joe Flacco struggles at many things, but he throws a great deep ball, and Beckham is adept at lifting up mediocre QB play. The Ravens also have a locker room culture that can keep him in line. Green Bay would be a good fit, as Aaron Rodgers recently lost his top target in free agency. Beckham might also look good in Indianapolis or San Fransisco too; each team has tons of cap space.
There are good fits out there for Odell Beckham, but Cleveland ain’t one of em. So do yourself a favor, Dawg Pound…let this one go.