Odell Beckham Jr said during the week that he is going to remain with the Cleveland Browns next season, but the truth is the star receiver may not have a choice.
Browns general manager John Dorsey and other members of the team’s front office made it clear to Beckham recently that they do not plan to trade him, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports. They explained to Beckham that they acquired him via trade with the intention of having him remain a part of the team’s core for several years.
From @NFLGameDay: #Browns WR Odell Beckham had a good reason for saying that he's not going anywhere … because that's exactly the message the front office communicated to him. pic.twitter.com/OEWYXqC7wG
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 22, 2019
The Browns sent a first-round draft pick, a third-round pick and former first-round pick Jabrill Peppers to the New York Giants for Beckham last offseason. Unless they were blown away by an offer, it makes sense that they would rather keep Beckham and try to fix their own issues. A change in scheme and potentially moving on from head coach Freddie Kitchens might be wiser moves than giving up on Beckham after one season.
Beckham has brought about much of the trade speculation on his own with the way he has reportedly acted toward opponents this season, but the potential is still there for him, Baker Mayfield and Jarvis Landry to straighten things out. It also hasn’t helped that Beckham has battled an injury all season, though he hasn’t decided if he will undergo surgery.
#Browns WR Odell Beckham Jr told me he's currently scheduled a January 13th consultation with a core specialist to discuss his "hernia-like" injury as one of several opinions he’ll gather to determine if he’ll opt for surgery, or not next year.
— ig: josinaanderson (@JosinaAnderson) December 22, 2019
Beckham can still eclipse the 1,000-yard receiving mark with two games remaining, but he has obviously been disappointed with how the season has gone. The same can be said for a lot of his teammates. The Browns will likely explore making some significant changes this offseason, but apparently trading Beckham will not be one of them.
