Browns: 5 most overpaid players for the upcoming 2021 season
By Chad Porto
WR Odell Beckham Jr.
YUP, come at me. In his last four seasons, Odell Beckham has averaged just 677 yards per year, on 49 receptions, and four touchdowns, and heading into 2021, he’s the eighth highest-paid receiver in the NFL. That’s as overpaid as it gets.
Beckham Jr. has become severely injured prone, missing 27% of games in his career, and suffering several big lower leg injuries. In the two years he’s been mostly healthy (2018 and 2019), Beckham wasn’t even in the top 10 in receiving yards. Beckham ranked 18th in 2018 with the Giants and 26th in 2019 with the Browns. Beckham, again, is a top-eight paid receiver, and was a lot higher in the rank in 2018 and 2019, before others at his postion got paid.
It’s inexcusable for him to be so far down the list for how much he’s paid.
At 29 years old, Beckham has pretty much shown the world what he’s going to be, and while he may still have some playmaking abilities, it’s whether or not he’s worth that one big play every game or so. You could find guys who can give you one big play a game on the third day of the NFL Draft, you don’t need to pay a man $18 million for that type of infrequency.
Beckham may still have some value elsewhere, and the Browns are lucky enough to be able to move on from him without incurring any penalties if they trade him. While the fanbase is split, if the price is right, the Browns should move on from him sooner rather than later.
With Nick Chubb, Baker Mayfield, Jack Conklin, Wyatt Teller, and Denzel Ward all looking at new deals in the next year or two, giving Beckham what he’s making right now is just ill-advised.