Former Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. is still looking for his new home.
The free agent was last seen at the Super Bowl, suited up for the Los Angeles Rams, where he suffered a tough ACL injury in the first half.
By all accounts, his surgery was successful and he should be back to action next season.
And after a reunion between Jarvis Landry and the state of Louisiana earlier this offseason, is it possible another reunion is in the books?
Perhaps one between Beckham and the Browns?
Beckham Back In Brown & Orange?
Not likely.
It doesn’t make sense for either side.
Don’t get me wrong, Beckham posted several solid seasons in Cleveland.
But the bad blood between Beckham and the Browns is likely still too hot.
The saga between player and franchise reached Shakespearean levels this season, with rumors swirling that Beckham was unhappy with his role.
Those rumors came to a head when Beckham’s father ranted on Twitter about that very same issue.
Could OBJ be heading back to The Land? #Browns @Flash_Garrett @obj pic.twitter.com/s3XA8l07Wm
— Brandon Wolf (@BrandonWolfCLE) June 2, 2022
Days later, Beckham was removed from the team and ultimately cut.
And that’s the story of how Beckham turned a dead-end Browns season into one where he ultimately won a ring.
Incredible stuff, really.
Beckham clearly didn’t want to be around, but Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry were apparently also fine with letting him walk.
Had the Browns wanted to keep Beckham around, they wouldn’t have waited until this offseason to do it.
They would have reached out and tried to make any sort of deal or concession work.
But they didn’t.
The Browns are just plain out over it with Beckham.
And they should be.
Cleveland is busy assembling a talented roster designed to win now.
Myles Garrett and Jadaveon Clowney are prowling the d-line yet again.
Kareem Hunt is still rushing well.
The O-Line should hold up nicely.
And the team brought in Amari Cooper and drafted receiver help to help offset the loss of Landry and Beckham.
Why sign Beckham to a massive contract when he won’t help win right away.
Though to be fair, I’m not sure that Deshaun Watson will help anyone do anything right now, and the Browns still signed him to a fully guaranteed $230 million contract.
Beckham’s Condition
Here’s the other issue: what condition is a team getting Beckham in?
There were already signs he was slowing down–he managed a 1,000-yard receiving season once in Cleveland, his first season back in 2019.
Beckham is entering his eighth season and coming off a major injury.
Will he be able to cut the same way?
Is his explosiveness still there?
These are legitimate questions teams will have about Beckham.
Further, his mini-resurgence in Los Angeles is at least partly explained by the supporting cast.
Beckham wasn’t drawing the same types of coverage in LA as he was in Cleveland, thanks in part to Cooper Kupp’s Superman performance last season.
Whatever role Beckham slots into next season, he probably can’t be a competitive team’s top option.
Beckham is like a former A-List celebrity whose star is falling and whose name doesn’t appear at the top of the bill.
#Browns Donovan Peoples-Jones said he plans on staying in touch with Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry after they help mold him during their time together in Cleveland.
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) June 6, 2022
Will people want to watch Beckham in his new role?
Will teams want to pay him for it?
For the Browns, the answer must be a resounding no.
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