According to reports, the Cleveland Browns plan to move forward with wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. but things could still change.
The Cleveland Browns are planning to have one of their best players next season. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Cleveland plans to keep Odell Beckham Jr. for the time being.
Rapoport also adds his presence during the offseason and organized team activities may impact their decision. Beckham underwent core surgery after the season ended and is expected to make a full recovery.
Odell Beckham Jr. famously did not appear at organized team activities last season. It was quite the talking point and many blamed the Browns failure on his absence. As time went on and more information surfaced, Beckham’s absence seemed to be less significant than initially thought. Cleveland had issues across the board and this was far from the primary reason the team struggled last season.
Freddie Kitchens was clearly in over his head last year and was not ready to be a head coach. The game plan would be questionable at best and the team seemed unprepared from start to finish. Pair that with Beckham not being healthy and that is not a combination that will work out all that well. Having to deal with an injury is difficult to begin with. Add in a game plan that nobody is quite what it is and it will only become more difficult. Even with this Beckham still had 74 receptions for 1,035 yards and four touchdowns. A great season for most receivers, but a career-low for Beckham in seasons where he appeared in 12 or more games.
There are also other things to consider when it comes to Beckham. Most notably his display down in New Orleans and the simple battery charges that were later dropped. The former regime may have tolerated this type of behavior, but it is not known if the new regime will.
