Is It Time for the Cleveland Browns to Trade Odell Beckham Jr?

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry recently said that Odell Beckham Jr is “even better than he was last year.” Browns fans will surely hope that is the case as Beckham spent the majority of 2020 off the field nursing a torn ACL.

The injury setback though isn’t the first to hamper Beckham’s time in the NFL. The famed wide receiver has had to go under the knife multiple times in the past due to a wide array of injuries. 

Missing the rest of the 2020 season following the ACL injury, the Browns offense too surprisingly picked up its game. Mayfield looked much more confident throwing to a wide array of receivers instead of primarily looking for Beckham. And wide receiver Rashard Higgins too played the role of backup admirably by ending his season with 599 yards and four touchdowns.

The Browns ultimately made the playoffs for the first time in nearly two decades and even claimed their first playoff win since the turn of the millennium. All without their WR1 on the pitch. 

So the question that one has to ask, do the Browns really need Odell Beckham Jr any longer? 

Time’s running out for Odell Beckham Jr  

The Browns were 4-2 before they took on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7. The game when Beckham tore his ACL in the second snap of the game. 

Ultimately the side finished the season 11-5. So sure, the side was still winning games with Odell Beckham Jr in the mix. But dig deeper and one will realize that Beckham himself had very little to do with the Browns’ early-season success. 

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In the seven games he started, including the start against the Bengals in Week 7, Beckham averaged a meagre 45.6 yards per game. A far cry from the numbers he registered back with the New York Giants.

During his time at the Big Apple, Beckham averaged over 90 yards a game. During his two seasons in Cleveland, the number dramatically dropped to 55.15 a game. 

Add to that, the Cleveland offense is primarily one that dictates the flow of the game with their running game. With two elite running backs in Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, the Browns rushed for 148.4 yards per game. The third highest in the league last season. 

And it’s not like the Browns would be deprived of talent on the wide receiver end. The side already has Landry who has shown in the past that he is more than capable of the bring the Brown’s WR1.

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The market for wide receivers has taken a hit in recent years. Even the trade of a perennial Pro Bowler like Julio Jones couldn’t garner a first-round pick for the Atlanta Falcons. 

And with Beckham on the verge of turning 29, it’s time the Browns cash in before it’s too late.