LeBron James, Odell Beckham’s father have message for Browns about star WR
Odell Beckham Jr. has been mentioned as a potential trade candidate ahead of Tuesday afternoon’s deadline, but the Cleveland Browns are not likely to move the star wide receiver. It seems like LeBron James wishes they would, and the same might be true for Beckham’s father.
Though Beckham has been the subject of trade rumors for years, ESPN’s Dianna Russini reports that the Browns have no plans to deal him. LeBron, who is from Ohio, showed support for OBJ on Twitter not long after Russini shared that news.
OBJ will show again why he’s special. WR1 #FreeOBJ
— LeBron James (@KingJames) November 2, 2021
The #FreeOBJ movement is one that Beckham’s father has apparently gotten behind as well. On Tuesday morning, Beckham Sr. shared a YouTube video on his Instagram account that shows several instances in 2021 where his son has been open but had nothing to show for it. The video, which was posted over a week ago, features several plays where Baker Mayfield either threw bad passes or did not realize OBJ was open.
In addition to sharing the video, Beckham Sr. also seemingly agreed with a commenter who said Mayfield “genuinely doesn’t wanna give Odell the ball.” You can see screenshots below:
The father of #Browns Odell Beckham Jr. posted an 11 minute video on Instagram today. The video showed multiple times that QB Baker Mayfield missed Odell Beckham Jr. Was also active in comments. pic.twitter.com/oFbJl4ExA9
— Brad Stainbrook (@StainbrookNFL) November 2, 2021
Beckham has just 17 catches in six games this season. He’s probably frustrated, but he hasn’t admitted it publicly. One legendary receiver recently sounded off about how the Browns are misusing OBJ. Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski also took the blame this week for Beckham only getting one target in Sunday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Even if the Browns were open to trading Beckham, his value is probably quite low due to his injury history and lack of recent production. They’re better off trying to find ways to get him the ball, but they haven’t been able to do that consistently since acquiring him three seasons ago.
Photo: Oct 21, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (13) warms up before the game between the Browns and the Denver Broncos at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
