BEREA, Ohio – Can’t wait to see who wants a let go.
There will be someone who will always covet talented three-time Pro Bowl receiver Odell Beckham Jr., although there has been little evidence of that in six games this season.
With a deal made on Friday that will result in Beckham’s formal waiver on Monday, someone will either claim waivers or sign the wide receiver who dropped quarterback Baker Mayfield, was unhappy with coach Kevin Stefanski’s play call and has compromised his close friend Jarvis Landry’s chances of making the playoffs.
Who denounced his team, basically saying they’re not good enough to win a Super Bowl and forced himself out so he could have a better chance of winning the Lombardi Trophy.
That left his locker room in disarray, with security John Johnson III saying on Thursday that the majority of players wanted Beckham to stay, giving credence to the idea that the Browns were choosing sides between Mayfield and Beckham.
Who was going through the moves when he attended Mayfield’s off-season training in Austin, TX, who traveled to Montana on Labor Day weekend with Mayfield, Landry and tight end Austin Hooper but couldn’t or didn’t want to break the ice in his icy relationship with the quarterback.
Who wasn’t willing to give Mayfield a pass for playing with a completely torn labrum and fractured humerus in his left shoulder, focused only on the times Mayfield failed to get him the ball when he was open.
Who couldn’t get over being traded by the New York Giants to Cleveland.
Who hasn’t embraced northeast Ohio and his fan base like those he’s worked with, likely because it was too far out of the spotlight he craved.
Beckham has never been in good shape and it was time to move on, with the Browns announcing on Friday that they would be relinquishing Beckham soon. Such selfishness has no place in what CEO Andrew Berry and Stefanski are trying to build.
Give Berry and Stefanski credit for trying to make it work, for trying to understand Beckham’s complex personality and giving him what he needed, for putting up with his endless drama.
Trying to assign blame seems pointless because there is a lot to be done.
It starts with former Browns general manager John Dorsey sucked into the March 2019 deal in which the Browns signed Beckham’s $ 90 million five-year contract, which still had $ 8.3 million guaranteed. Friday. Like many others, Dorsey was so blinded by Beckham’s aura that he ignored his baggage and the start of Beckham’s litany of injuries, with his ACL repair on November 10, 2020, his third surgery in four years. .
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The question now is how the Browns deal with the collateral damage of the Beckham saga. It exploded Tuesday morning when Odell Beckham Sr. posted a video on Instagram of the times his son was opened and Mayfield failed to find him, and was followed by LeBron James’ #FreeOBJ tweet.
Are the Browns who wanted Beckham to remain doubtful that Mayfield is the quarterback of the future?
Will Mayfield return to his ripped ACL form after the OBJ in 2020, freed from the burden of getting the ball from Beckham?
Stefanski’s poor play this season, especially his inability to fit Beckham into the offense, has it raised questions in players’ minds about the abilities of the reigning NFL Coach of the Year? ?
Can the locker room leaders rally the Browns to save a 4-4 season, with all of their goals still in front of them?
Will Landry, the heart and soul of the Browns, be hurt by what happened with his friend and former Louisiana State teammate, whom he met when he was 16?
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As smart, perceptive, and magnetic as Beckham is, the Browns had to reject a supreme cowardice. His main impact during his three years with the Browns – aside from his three touchdown day in Dallas in 2020 – came in the form of distractions such as designer watches, clown shoes and slaps in the face. the back of a security guard in the LSU locker room after the school’s victory at the 2019 national championship.
Beckham’s seemingly orchestrated plan could backfire if it ends up being claimed by a non-competitor on Tuesday. A source confirmed Friday night that the settlement voids Beckham’s last two unsecured years of contract, but he will still be owed $ 7.25 million. According to ESPN, only nine teams have that much headroom, including Jacksonville (1-6), Philadelphia (3-5) and Washington (2-6).
Beckham is hoping to clear the waivers and pick his destination as a free agent, playing with quarterbacks like Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Matthew Stafford, Patrick Mahomes or Lamar Jackson. If he ends up with Stafford and the Rams, Beckham will toast James Brentwood’s wine cellar any day.
Beckham’s actions and those of his entourage have shown that he has little faith in the Browns, who include coaches, the front office, his teammates and his close friend. Even with their season on the brink on Sunday in Cincinnati, they can still prove him wrong.
Marla Ridenour can be reached at [email protected]. Learn more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/browns. Follow her on Twitter: @MRidenourABJ.
