Patriots to pursue Odell Beckham Jr trade this offseason?

The New England Patriots are in desperate need of offensive playmakers heading into 2020, and they may need to get aggressive in pursuing one in order to convince Tom Brady to return. If the Pats look to make a trade for a star wide receiver, Odell Beckham Jr. could be a name to watch.

Greg A. Bedard of Boston Sports Journal recently published what he called a “realistic” projection of the Patriots’ 53-man roster for 2020, and he included Beckham. The rationale behind the prediction is that the Browns are “much more likely” to trade Beckham now that they are focusing on a more analytics-based approach, and Bedard believes Brady and Bill Belichick could get the most out of OBJ the way they did when the Patriots acquired Randy Moss in a blockbuster trade back in 2007.

The Patriots would likely be interested if the Browns made Beckham available via trade. However, Cleveland would almost certainly ask for a first-round pick in return, and it’s unclear if Belichick would be willing to part with the No. 23 overall pick and pay Beckham $14 million per year.

The Patriots were reportedly aggressive in trying to acquire Beckham via trade when the New York Giants first made him available. However, that was before OBJ signed his massive contract extension, so things may not be the same now.

A lot has been made about Brady wanting a big financial commitment from the Patriots, but he really wants them to improve the roster around him. He would probably be willing to take less than market value once again if he had a chance to play with a Pro Bowler like Beckham, with whom he has always been friendly.

Browns unlikely to trade Odell Beckham Jr or Jarvis Landry

Odell Beckham Jr was only a member of the Cleveland Browns for a few months before we started hearing rumblings that he could be traded, and it still would not be a shock if the team moved him this offseason. However, all signs point to OBJ and fellow star receiver Jarvis Landry remaining right where they are.

Beckham and Landry both had some issues with former Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens, but Jay Glazer of The Athletic wrote in his most recent mailbag that he believes new head coach Kevin Stefanski wants to keep both receivers.

“I think Kevin Stefanski is going to want them both — as a young, offensive-minded head coach, you want offensive weapons like this. … They have to show they are on board with everything when it comes to the team Stefanski is building,” Glazer said. “If they don’t, then it doesn’t really make sense. I don’t know what the market is going to be like but I think both are going to try to be on board.”

Glazer was the first to report that the Giants wanted to trade Odell Beckham Jr following the 2018 season, so any information he has about OBJ is noteworthy.

Beckham recently underwent surgery to repair a sports hernia that he dealt with throughout all of 2019. He says he is feeling “more motivated” than ever after his disappointing first season in Cleveland, and he recently expressed optimism about the direction of the team under Stefanski. The Browns reportedly want Beckham to show more commitment during the offseason this year, which will be something worth monitoring.

Both Beckham and Landry eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark last season, which is impressive considering how badly things went for the Browns. Landry has made it clear that any issues he had were with Kitchens, so there’s no reason to think he will want to be traded.

On paper, Cleveland has as talented of an offense as any team in the NFL. It will be up to Stefanski to get the most out of Baker Mayfield and a star-studded roster.

Odell Beckham has ‘good feeling’ about new coach Kevin Stefanski

There is optimism in the Cleveland Browns camp again under new head coach Kevin Stefanski, and that includes wide receiver Odell Beckham.

After a difficult and injury-plagued first season in Cleveland, Beckham has undergone surgery to repair a sports hernia and expects to be ready for 2020. He’s also optimistic, and referenced Stefanski’s work with Adam Thielen in Minnesota as reason for excitement.

“Just seeing what he did with the Minnesota Vikings for a long time with Thielen and Diggs,” Beckham told Zach Frydenlund of Complex. “These are people who I’ve watched closely on their film, and just seeing the things that he did and meeting him and seeing where his mind’s at for Jarvis (Landry) and myself of how this will all work out, I have a good feeling about it, you know?”

Beckham added that he is “more motivated” than ever before after his injury-hit first year in Cleveland.

“I think myself as well had a slice of humble pie this year, because I was hurt all year,” Beckham said. “I couldn’t really say I was hurt. I didn’t want to make it seem like I’m having an excuse, but I really couldn’t do what I wanted. I just couldn’t move the way that I wanted to, so I think that’s why I’m more motivated now than ever.”

A motivated Beckham should be good news for the Browns. He’ll be back there next year, though the organization is looking for more leadership on his part. If they get both motivation and leadership, it could be a big year for both Beckham and the Browns in 2020.

Report: Browns want Odell Beckham to show commitment to team

Will Odell Beckham be back with the Cleveland Browns in 2020? It looks like it, but the organization reportedly wants to see a bit more from him during the offseason.

NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport gave an update on Beckham’s status Friday. For now, the Browns have every intention of keeping Beckham for at least a year, but they want to see a greater level of commitment from him. That includes an expanded presence at OTAs and offseason workouts so Beckham can actively learn the team’s new offense and set a good example for younger players.

From Super Bowl Live: The #Browns want to move forward with WR Odell Beckham Jr, but how present he is this offseason and for OTAs may go a long way in determining that. pic.twitter.com/RMfekoLrQX

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 31, 2020

While there were rumors that Beckham wanted out during the season, he has publicly denied them. The star wide receiver underwent surgery to correct a nagging sports hernia, but it does not sound like that will preclude him from participating in the team’s offseason programs like they clearly expect him to.

Beckham is under contract through 2023.

Odell Beckham Jr undergoes surgery for sports hernia injury

Odell Beckham Jr played the entire 2019 season while dealing with a core muscle injury, and the star wide receiver underwent surgery recently to address the issue.

The Cleveland Browns announced on Tuesday that Beckham had successful surgery to repair a core muscle injury, which is often referred to as a sports hernia. The team said Beckham is expected to make a full recovery. While no timeline for a return to football activity was given, there has been no indication that Beckham is in danger of missing training camp or the offseason program.

While he still managed to put up 1,035 receiving yards, Beckham’s first season with the Browns was a disappointment. He scored just four touchdowns and did not display consistent chemistry with Baker Mayfield, which is something the Browns will focus on improving this offseason — assuming they are not planning to trade Beckham.

Mayfield created some issues for the Browns during the season when he took aim at the team’s medical staff over the way Beckham’s injury was handled, but OBJ has not said anything publicly about being dissatisfied.

Superdome police officer declines to press charges against Odell Beckham

Odell Beckham Jr. likely won’t be facing criminal charges for slapping a Superdome police officer on the backside after LSU’s win over Clemson in the national title game.

As first reported by Ramon Antonio Vargas and John Simerman of NOLA.com, the 48-year-old officer has signed an affidavit declining to press charges against the Cleveland Browns wide receiver. The officer had initially sought to press charges against the star wide receiver, and an arrest warrant was out for Beckham for a simple battery charge.

That warrant has not yet been withdrawn, but with the officer unwilling to press charges, it appears unlikely that Beckham will face any real legal consequences for his actions.

The officer in question was trying to get LSU players to put out their cigars in a bid to enforce the Superdome’s no smoking policy. Video of what Beckham did went viral in the aftermath of the incident, but the whole matter seemed rather silly to begin with.

Odell Beckham Jr has arrest warrant issued after slapping police officer’s butt in LSU locker room

Odell Beckham Jr created a problematic situation for LSU when he handed out cash to Tigers players following Monday night’s win over Clemson in the national championship game, but the star receiver is facing legal trouble for another stunt he pulled after the game.

According to Ramon Antonio Vargas of Nolan.com, police have obtained an arrest warrant for Beckham after a video that circulated on social media showed him slapping a police officer on the backside. The officer appeared to be telling LSU players to put out their victory cigars in the locker room when Beckham came up behind him and delivered the slap.

OBJ wasn’t gonna let that officer spoil the fun.. told him to get the gat. pic.twitter.com/sWoWj53r42

— 🕊 (@wannabjoyful) January 14, 2020

As you might expect, the officer did not look pleased. Beckham walked away afterword and it appeared the incident might be overlooked, but a police spokesman says a simple battery warrant was issued for Beckham after authorities saw the video. A warrant for a misdemeanor sexual battery charge was initially sought, but a judge declined it.

Between the cash stunt and slapping a police officer on the rear end, Beckham acted like a complete fool after LSU won. You can understand why LSU allowed him to hang around the team as someone who is an NFL superstar and Tiger alum, but it would not be a surprise if he is persona non grata going forward.

LSU initially said the money Beckham handed out was fake, but some comments Joe Burrow made on a podcast indicated otherwise. The school has since announced that it is working with the NCAA and the SEC to rectify the situation.