What we know about receiver’s future with team

The state of affairs between the Cleveland Browns and polarizing receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has hit a crucial level.

The drama intensified Tuesday, when the NFL commerce deadline handed with out the Browns dealing Beckham. Social-media drama centered round an Instagram video posted by Beckham’s father, Odell Beckham Sr., solely added to the rift. Within the video, Beckham Sr. highlighted the Browns’ missed alternatives in getting OBJ the ball.

On Thursday, Beckham was excused from practice for the second consecutive day. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski had mentioned on Wednesday that Beckham was excused from observe with the staff citing a non-injury-related private matter.

As of Wednesday, neither Stefanski nor quarterback Baker Mayfield had talked to Beckham, additional highlighting the divide between the staff and the three-time Professional Bowl receiver with a historical past of being a distraction.

What’s Odell Beckham’s standing with the Browns?

It appears very doubtless that the Browns are getting ready to maneuver on with out Beckham, who’s beneath contract for 2 extra seasons however isn’t assured any cash after 2021.

Beckham’s brokers and Browns common supervisor Andrew Berry are discussing choices with the participant’s future. Beckham continues to be due roughly $Eight million assured of the $15.75 million he is making this 12 months. If Beckham had been launched by the Browns and cleared waivers, he would develop into a free agent and have the ability to signal with any staff. Nevertheless, it would not be practical for an additional franchise to pursue him till he cleared waivers as a result of it will be on the hook for the $Eight million.

The timing is not nice for the Browns, both. An anticipated Tremendous Bowl contender within the preseason, the Browns are among the many most disappointing groups halfway by the 2021 season. On Sunday, the Browns (4-4) play their AFC North rivals, the Bengals (5-3), on the street in Cincinnati. The Browns presently sit in final place within the AFC North.

OPINION: With AFC playoff race vast open, Browns should not half with Odell Beckham Jr. till 2022

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MORE: What’s subsequent for key NFL commerce deadline figures?

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What occurred on NFL commerce deadline day?

On Tuesday, ESPN reported that Beckham now not needed to be with the Browns and the staff was in commerce discussions with the New Orleans Saints. Nevertheless, the 2 groups couldn’t attain an settlement, given how a lot Beckham is owed. This improvement got here after Sunday’s 15-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a sport by which Beckham was focused simply twice, the receiver catching one cross for six yards.

Early within the morning on commerce deadline day, Beckham Sr. posted a video to his verified Instagram account to level out how the Browns have didn’t get the ball to OBJ. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James additionally provided his assist for OBJ on Twitter, writing “OBJ will present once more why he’s particular. WR1 #FreeOBJ.” On Thursday, Beckham Sr. posted a shoutout to the producer of the video.

Regardless of the social-media gasoline thrown onto the OBJ commerce hypothesis, the NFL’s deadline got here and went with Beckham nonetheless a member of the Browns.

What in regards to the relationship between Odell Beckham and Baker Mayfield?

In all, Beckham has had an unproductive and injury-prone tenure in Cleveland. He performed in all 16 video games in his first season with the staff in 2019, Mayfield’s second NFL season. Nevertheless, Beckham has performed in simply 13 video games within the two seasons since. Whereas attaining 1,035 yards receiving in 2019, Beckham has simply 551 yards receiving mixed in 2020-21. This comes after a profitable tenure with the New York Giants, with whom Beckham established himself as one of many NFL’s most dynamic offensive gamers.

With Beckham’s LSU teammate Jarvis Landry already on the roster, there was a lot optimism a couple of high-octane offense in Cleveland when the staff acquired Beckham in 2019. Whereas Mayfield and Landry proceed to take pleasure in a very good on-field connection, that has not been the case with Mayfield and Beckham. In six video games this season, Beckham has 17 catches on 34 targets for 232 yards and two carries for 14 yards with out scoring a landing. The final time Beckham scored a landing for the Browns was within the 49-38 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 4, 2020.

That low stage of manufacturing and the shortage of involvement within the offense led to the occasions of this week, with Mayfield being referred to as out by Beckham’s father for not throwing the ball to his son.

Following Wednesday’s observe, Mayfield mentioned he was stunned, however not harm, by the video posted by Beckham’s father. Mayfield additionally didn’t rule out a reconciliation with Beckham.

“If he is again, then we’ll work by it and do no matter it takes,” Mayfield mentioned Wednesday. “I can put my ego and pleasure to the facet to win as a result of that is all I care about.

“But when not, then we’ll roll with the blokes we’ve got on the market, and people guys will know that I utterly belief them they usually’ll know that I am at all times right here for them. That is the chief and that is the kind of quarterback I’m.”

When requested if he’d wish to have Beckham again with the staff, Mayfield mentioned he “would take something to have a successful staff proper now.”

“Our focus must be on successful and something like this, stuff that will get created on the skin drama-wise takes away the main focus and the eye to element that we have to have,” Mayfield mentioned. “We haven’t been capable of win as a result of we haven’t executed nicely sufficient to have the ability to try this, and so I believe lots of that is frustration.

“It’s rigidity that’s constructed up as a result of we’re not enjoying how we must be, and we need to be higher. We need to be higher than .500, however that’s the place we’re at proper now, so it’s time to look within the mirror and deal with these issues internally as a result of nothing on the skin goes to assist us. It’s solely going to create drama.”

Contributing: Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal; The Related Press

This text initially appeared on USA TODAY: Odell Beckham Jr., Cleveland Browns, Baker Mayfield at a crossroads