A few Cleveland Browns have gone on the record as saying they’d welcome Odell Beckham Jr. back to the team.
“If he wants to come back and be part of the team, I’m sure we’d welcome him with open arms,” guard Joel Bitonio said on Thursday. Baker Mayfield said that “any sort of conversation would go a long way” in potentially salvaging the relationship with the star wide receiver. “If he’s back, we’ll work through it. I can put my ego aside.”
That doesn’t seem very likely at this point. Coach Kevin Stefanski reportedly told his players that Beckham “is essentially not on the team right now,” after he was excused from Wednesday’s practice.
Not every Browns player is with Bitonio and Mayfield, either. One unnamed Brown blasted Beckham’s demeanor to insider Mike Garafolo:
Browns player on Odell Beckham Jr.: “He does nothing. He talks to no one. He’s just got a malcontent attitude” (per @MikeGarafolo)https://t.co/9XclhFPeDa pic.twitter.com/9pUgnhYogD
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) November 4, 2021
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Meanwhile, Browns safety John Johnson said that he believed “the majority of the locker room would love to have him in this building.” Clearly, there’s some disagreement on where things stand between Beckham and his teammates.
On the field, he hasn’t been much of a factor for Cleveland this year, struggling to find chemistry with Mayfield. He has 17 receptions for 232 yards on the year, without a touchdown. Last weekend against the Steelers, in what very well may be his final game as a Brown, he caught just one pass for six yards.
Odell Beckham Jr. wasn’t moved ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, but with each passing day it looks more likely that his time with the Browns is over.
[NFL.com]
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