It should be pointed out that Odell Beckham Jr. came to practice today ready to work, but the Browns decided to send Beckham home.
The combination of Odell Beckham Jr’s dad posting a video showing how many times Baker Mayfield has missed opportunities to make big plays to his son. The FREE ODELL movement that started on Twitter and caught fire after LeBron openly expressed that he wanted Beckham traded was too much to bear for Browns.
Yahoo Sports Charles Robinson gives some scenarios the Browns are mulling over now that they have thrown down the gauntlet to Beckham.
Should Beckham’s absence Wednesday represent an irreparable crossroads between himself and the franchise, the Browns have essentially three options on the table.
They can attempt to mend fences with a private meeting to clear the air over whatever issues are lingering, including the video and comments posted by Beckham Sr.
Cleveland could choose a far less-palatable option of deactivating Beckham but keep him on the roster the remainder of the season (while also paying him), similar to what the Houston Texans are facing with Deshaun Watson.
The Browns could offer Beckham his outright release in exchange for some of the $8 million he’s owed for the rest of the season. This solution could be a win for both sides, giving Beckham the freedom he wants (at least into waivers) while giving Cleveland the ability to retain some salary-cap space in the process.
Teams didn’t want to give up any high draft picks for Beckham and didn’t want to pay his remaining salary, so that is why a trade didn’t happen at the deadline.
The Browns are still in the playoff mix, so they have to make a firm decision. If they don’t want Beckham around, they should send him home permanently. If they are going to try to work it out, everyone needs to sit down like men and figure it out.
Flip the page for 11 minutes of Baker Mayfield ignoring an open Odell Beckham Jr.