With OBJ out for the year, a discussion about his fit with the quarterback and the team can now take place.
The Cleveland Browns will be without the services of Odell Beckham Jr. for the rest of the year due to his season ending injury. By now everyone has heard/seen the numbers of quarterback Baker Mayfield with and without Beckham on the field, prompting an important discussion that needs to take place. The discussion?
Whether or not Baker Mayfield and Odell Beckham Jr. are actually compatible.
Let’s get this out of the way first. The Cleveland Browns are a better team with Odell Beckham Jr. What is also true is that Baker Mayfield has performed better when Beckham is not in the mix.
As Andrew Siciliano stated above, the Browns are not a better team without Beckham. Being without OBJ also does not necessarily mean that Mayfield is a better quarterback. It means that Mayfield plays better when he is not on the field. Mayfield’s performance with/without Beckham is not indicative of his talent level, this is a fact. This is simply about play calls without Beckham appear to be catered to Mayfield’s strengths rather than when he is on the field. There is also the question about whether or not Mayfield or the offense is forcing the ball to Beckham. This has been a recurring subject and no matter what they say everything indicates that this has been the case.
What the Browns are going to need to ask themselves is whether or not the Baker Mayfield-Odell Beckham Jr. dynamic can actually work. If they find themselves in a situation where they have to choose it would be quite the predicament. Do they keep the average quarterback with obvious flaws or the superstar wide receiver who has a growing injury history. Both players are not strangers to off the field episodes, so that is a wash. The front office is going to have to weigh the pros and cons of both and what direction they want to go in. The success the team has the rest of the season will without a doubt play a factor in any possible decision the team makes.
