NFL News: Cleveland Browns Finally Squash Rumors Of Trading Odell Beckham Jr.
Odell Beckham Jr. is not going anywhere else in the NFL right now, and that is even with the Cleveland Browns underachieving in 2019. Before last week’s NFL Draft, numerous rumors were flying around that the Browns were looking to move their star wide receiver for more picks or veteran players. The franchise is squashing everything by saying there was no truth to the whispers of a trade, which led to nothing anyway.
There had been talk on social media last year that Beckham was somewhat unhappy in Cleveland and wanted out. That kept the speculation going in the offseason, but nothing ever happened.
On Wednesday, Browns general manager Andrew Berry spoke with Good Morning Football to address the rumors. As transcribed by the NFL‘s official website, he kept nothing back by saying that they can’t control all the speculation, but they’re proud of having OBJ in Cleveland.
“We’ve been clear from the beginning that we view Odell as a fantastic player. We’re a better team with him on the field. We see him as a long-term member of the organization. We really like how he’s acclimated and adjusted with the new staff. So the rumors, that’s not something that we can control, but we’re happy to have him as a part of our organization.”
Berry made it clear that Beckham is not going anywhere after just one season with the Browns.
After five years with the New York Giants, a trade sent Beckham to Cleveland. In his first season with the team, he had 74 receptions for 1,035 yards and just four touchdowns. The four scoring receptions were the lowest single-season total of his career except for an injury-shortened season back in 2017.
Once the year was over, Beckham did admit he played through multiple injuries during the season. The three-time Pro Bowl selection made sure that people didn’t think his game was failing due to reasons other than his injuries.
Beckham’s visible displeasure on the sidelines and in the locker room brought about the trade rumors. Fuel was added to the fire once the Minnesota Vikings traded their own star receiver, Stefon Diggs, to the Buffalo Bills, which caused a rather large void on their offense.
The Cleveland Browns have made several changes during the offseason with the hope of turning things around. Berry was hired along with new head coach Kevin Stefanski, and the franchise is optimistic about a future which includes keeping Beckham on the field in FirstEnergy Stadium.
