Getty Cleveland Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens.
Cleveland Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens is beginning to sound like he wants to put Odell Beckham Jr.’s face on the side of a milk carton if he does not see him soon.
Beckham — the crown jewel acquisition of a busy offseason for the Browns — has only attended one of nine OTA sessions with his new team.
Freddie Kitchens on May 30 regarding what Odell Beckham missed by skipping #Browns OTAs eight of nine times “A lot. The offense.” Kitchens on April 27, emphasizing program is voluntary: “If we can’t have him ready to play when he shows up, they need to find a new head coach.”
While the sessions are optional, Kitchens has grown increasingly tired of the questions about where his new wide receiver is.
Have now conferred with 2 people who were in Berea today. Both believe Kitchens was more frustrated with being repeatedly asked about OBJ not being there than he is with OBJ actually not being there
“I just want to see him,” Kitchens said.
When asked what OBJ has missed so far, Kitchens kept it brief.
“A lot — the offense,” Kitchens said.
Freddie Kitchens on what he wants to see from Odell Beckham Jr. next week: ‘I just want to see him.’
What did he miss? ‘A lot’
The Browns gave up a first and third round pick and safety Jabrill Peppers to land OBJ from the New York Giants. It would be great for him to be getting in all the time he can with quarterback Baker Mayfield.
It didn’t take long for OBJ to start making headlines in Cleveland. He showed off his team pride with his custom Rolls-Royce.
OBJ got a custom piece on his Rolls Royce 👀🔥 @obj
Now, he needs to start making an impact on the field for the Browns.
The offensive is under the direction of coordinator Todd Monken, who came over from Tampa Bay in the offseason. While with the Bucs, Monken was able to harness a bit of Fitzmagic — and Jameis Winston — building the best passing offense in the league.
His offense philosophy sounds like a perfect fit for Beckham.
“I like having fun. I don’t know why it has to feel like such drudgery all the time,” Monken said. “Who needs more 5-yard plays? How can we be explosive? That’s what the game is about, man. People like big plays. I like big plays.”
That, however, is hard to do when you can’t install the offense because the top WRs aren’t around.
#Browns OC Todd Monken admits it’s been a challenge for Baker Mayfield and for offensive install without top WRs in OTAs: ‘You do what you can’
“You do what you can,” Monken told Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot. “The most important part is we have a vast majority of our guys here. In terms of your installs, what we’re doing offensively, our calls and our adjustments receiver-wise, it’s obviously a challenge for our quarterbacks in terms of the receiving corps that are out there, but that’s part of the deal. It’s their job to make them right.”
Monken will have plenty of toys to play with when the Browns finally put all the pieces together. Browns mandatory minicamp is slated from June 4-6 and OBJ is expected to be in attendance.
There’s no doubt, Beckham has the talent to be an All-Pro in Cleveland. But if he truly wants to make the Browns the “new Patriots,” in true Belichick-Brady style, distractions need to be kept to a minimum and he needs to show up.