The Cleveland Browns were one of several teams checking in on one of their former players.
This can be filed under unlikely, but still possible. The Cleveland Browns were in attendance for the private workout of former wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Beckham did not play last season after recovering from a a torn ACL suffered in the Rams victory in Super Bowl LVI.
While mentioning the Browns and Beckham in the same sentence is akin to throwing a match into a timber box, it is still worth exploring. As mentioned in the above tweet, many receivers want to play with new quarterback Deshaun Watson, even those with a very public divorce from the Browns not too long ago. It is worth mentioning that the catalyst in that separation spent time on two teams last year, both of which were not Cleveland (Baker Mayfield). Perhaps the upgrade at the quarterback position could persuade Beckham to return to the Browns.
How would OBJ fit?
This is the multi-million dollar question that needs to be answered. Cleveland’s receiver group is very different from when Beckham landed in Cleveland via trade, meaning Beckham would not need to be a superstar x-factor to be impactful. If Beckham were to come in as a complimentary piece to Amari Cooper it would rightfully bump Donovan Peoples-Jones from the second receiver spot. A tandem of Cooper and Beckham would open up the middle of the field (again). This would allow Peoples-Jones and David Njoku to operate in space and create easy completion targets for Watson.
There is another fact the Browns must consider when it comes to their former and potentially future pass catcher. Beckham has endured his fair share of injuries over the course of his career, including two ACL tears in a relatively short period of time. While this Browns regime have signed injury prone players in the past (Jadeveon Clowney, Takkarist McKinley), it is rarely a good idea to continue this practice.
What it comes down to is comfort between the Browns and Beckham. If the Browns believe Beckham is healthy and can contribute offensively while not costing an arm and a leg it would be worth exploring. Conversely Beckham needs to be confident that he will be comfortable and be able to succeed in Cleveland. The first time around was a rollercoaster with very few highs and a ton of lows. There are certain aspects which have changed (quarterback), but the offensive scheme and play calling is still present and that may be enough to deter Beckham from returning.
