Getty
On the first day of Cleveland Browns training camp, Odell Beckham Jr. leaped into the air with a defender all over him, snagged a back-shoulder throw and somehow landed inbounds.
It was just business as usual for OBJ as the fans exploded with cheers and his quarterback Baker Mayfield was left wide-eyed, even after having spent some time this offseason with his new wide receiver.
6️⃣➡️1️⃣3️⃣
😍😍
Mayfield recently spoke with Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer about those kind of plays from Beckham.
“It looked like he jumped while he was already in the air,” Mayfield said. “I don’t know. It was really weird. Back-shoulder on our left side. Coverage is there, yeah, he makes a play. Guy’s draped all over him. He caught another ball on the sideline, he bobbled it, then got his feet in. That stuff you’ve seen on film every day with him. But the jump in the air … is special.
“He can do things I’ve never seen before. The pure talent is unreal. As we grow chemistry together, it can be pretty special. He makes my job easy. I’m happy to be able to be at camp with him and get better every day.”
Odell Beckham Happy to Be With Browns, Baker
Beckham has been all smiles since landed in Cleveland via a blockbuster offseason trade. He’s especially happy with his quarterback situation, going from the Giants, which featured the expiring arm of Eli Manning, to the Browns, where Mayfield’s gunslinger mentality sets the tone for the team.
“I’m going to have to get adjusted to the speed because he’s got an arm,” Beckham told reporters at minicamp. “He’s throwing that ball hard, so just catching it from him from the first day it was like, ‘Wow, this is completely different.’ It just takes time. Again we play in September, so it’s a good thing.”
Beckham also gets to play beside his college teammate and best friend, Jarvis Landry, giving the Browns one of the league’s most lethal 1-2 punches at the position.
“I feel like a little kid, how much excitement I have to be back with this guy who changed my life forever,” Beckham said during his training camp press conference. “He’s truly inspired me to be who I am, be the man that I am. This is one of the best men that I know in my entire life. Just to be reunited with him feels great.”
Expectations for Baker and Beckham with Browns
Mayfield lit the NFL on fire in just 13 starts last season, quickly establishing himself as a star in the league. Oklahoma’s Heisman winner threw for 3,725 yards and broke the rookie touchdown record, accounting for 27 passing scores. The Browns finished 7-8-1, winning five of their final seven games. Now with Beckham at his disposal and spreading the field, Mayfield could be in line for an MVP-caliber season.
During his five seasons with the Giants, Beckham hauled in 390 passes for 5,476 yards and 44 touchdowns in 59 games. He made the Pro Bowl three-times and has designs to catch Jerry Rice on the all-time receiving yards list. Like Mayfield, playing in the talented Browns offense where he can stretch the field will give him an opportunity for a career season.
Comments
Baker Mayfield Speaks on ‘Unreal’ Odell Beckham Connection