3 consequences Odell Beckham’s injury will have on the Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns announced Odell Beckham Jr. tore his ACL against the Cincinnati Bengals Oct. 25. The nature of the injury suggests Beckham will need 12 months to heal and rehab his knee.
The injury is a major letdown for Browns fans, who relished the trade that brought OBJ to Cleveland back in early 2019. No proven NFL superstar had ever graced the Cleveland Browns, and his presence brought the attention of the national spotlight.
With Beckham as Brown, though, his career in an orange helmet ebbed, more than it flowed. He played the entire 2019 campaign injured, it turns out, requiring surgery for a sports hernia at season’s end.
As Browns fans reflect on Beckham’s career, there’s going to be questions about his future. While he’s still a name, he’s not the superstar he was with the Giants. Sure, he single handily beat the Giants a few weeks back, but those games are few and far between.
In a Browns uniform, I’d argue Beckham’s had two super-star caliber level games, with the first coming against the Jets back in Week 2 of 2019, while the Cowboys.
1. Baker Theory
Baker Mayfield set rookie record for passing touchdowns in a season back in 2018 before Odell Beckham Jr. put on an orange helmet.
The trade that brought OBJ to town was only supposed to lift Mayfield’s stats even higher, alas, the Dawg Pound is still waiting for the results that once seemed like a slam dunk when John Dorsey pulled the trigger on the trade that brought Beckham to Cleveland in early 2019.
Every pundit and fan had an opinion as to why the offense was faltering. Was it Freddie Kitchens? Was Mayfield trying to force the ball to his superstar wideout? Was OBJ just a gray cloud hanging over the roster?
Nobody wanted to see OBJ go out like this. The NFL is better when its superstars are healthy and suiting up. But now, the theory of whether Mayfield is better without Beckham will be tested.
Early results from the experiment came back gangbusters in Cincinnati, as Mayfield completed touchdown passes to four different receivers, with three scoring throws going to tight ends.
Baker looked like the record setter of 2018, who was spreading the ball around to the open receiver. That was a season in which no one accused the former Heisman winner of forcing the ball to anyone.
For those who wanted to see Baker without OBJ, the caveat was always, (in an Al Pacino voice) “Be careful, what you wish for.” A nine game sample size awaits.
2. Un-tradeable
With the NFL trade deadline Nov. 3, the Cleveland Browns are no strangers to trade chatter, especially with Odell Beckham on the roster.
In the latest run of rumors, the Patriots, 49ers and Saints had inquired about a Beckham trade before he suffered the injury, according to WEEI’s Mark Dondero.
Beckham’s been a magnet for rumors seemingly ever since the Browns acquired in a trade with the Giants. When things were going off the rails last season under Kitchens, lining up trade destination for Beckham seemed like a weekly endeavor for NFL pundits.
Now, Beckham isn’t going anywhere in 2020, or 2021. Beckham, who will be 28 in early November, has an injury guarantee of $12.79 million. Considering he might not see the field for the first half of the season, the Browns aren’t going to find a lot of takers for his contract.
Beckham is under contract through the 2023 season.
3. No one coming in
Don’t look for the Browns to make a trade for a receiver now that Beckham’s out.
The wideout was averaging 3.3 catches per game, and that’s not necessarily a slight against him. When Kevin Stefanski was hired, it was to be expected that the wide receivers wouldn’t put up eye-popping stats.
Stefanski’s offense leans heavily on the run and there’s clear evidence of it in the Browns first four wins. Kareem Hunt. was strong against the Bengals in Week 7, but it was really the first game where Mayfield had to step up and win the game.
And the receivers behind Beckham stepped up. Rashard Higgins can be productive when Mayfield doesn’t have to force the ball to Beckham. Donovan Peoples-Jones showed something, too, making a stellar grab on the game winning touchdown.
Plus, KhaDarel Hodge will be returning from injury. No, his talent is nowhere near Beckham’s, but he’s a really good blocker who like Higgins, can be productive by simply catching the two or three balls Mayfield throws his way.