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There’s some major blood between Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and New York Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.
Beckham spoke to the media in advance of the Browns’ Monday Night Football matchup against the Jets in New York on Thursday, and OBJ didn’t mince words when talking about Williams and his dirty reputation.
Beckham focused on a hit from the 2017 preseason against — coincidentally — the Browns, the team which Williams was coaching at the time. He harped on Williams’ focus on “dirty plays and cheap shots” and that he was ultimately responsible for causing the ankle injury that changed the course of his career.
“It’s preseason. It’s like a known rule. In preseason, nobody in the NFL’s really out to do stuff like that,” Beckham told reporters.
Beckham missed the New York Giants’ opener that season but tried to come back too early from what was revealed to be a high ankle sprain, eventually having to get surgery on the ankle after four games.
#Browns Odell Beckham says that dirty hit coached by Gregg Williams changed his life forever
“You gotta watch out for the cheap shots and dirty hits and all the things he likes to teach,” Beckham told reporters. “If I was a coach, I would never teach what he teaches. But that’s just him and what he does.
“I had people who were here when he was here telling (them) if you get a chance, take a shot at him. If you can, hurt him. I guarantee he’s going to leave the game hurt and stuff like that.”
The answer reportedly came when Beckham was asked about Williams running a lot of man coverage in his aggressive 4-3 scheme.
Williams was the interim skipper for the Browns during the second-half of last season, helping guide the team down a strong final stretch and to a 7-8-1 record — Cleveland’s best finish since 2007.
It would have been interesting if the Browns would have opted for Williams over Freddie Kitchens for the full-time head coaching job and still decided to trade for Beckham.
Beckham’s take isn’t particularly unique and there’s some history to back up his claims. Williams was suspended for all of the 2012 season for his role in the New Orleans Saints’ bounty-gate scandal.
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Leg Injuries Have Altered Odell Beckham’s NFL Career
Beckham revealed in the offseason to ESPN’s Josina Anderson that the injuries he’s suffered have all come on his right side, which has caused an imbalance of sorts.
“While OBJ told me he is feeling really good coming into this year — and I want to emphasis he said he was feeling really good — he also told me this quote which I thought was interesting,” Anderson said, before reading off the quote. “‘Getting through this year is something I’m going to have to work on every day because my left leg is doing all the work compared to my right. That’s why I’ve had all those injuries on the right side.'”
Odell Beckham Jr. tells me he is “feeling very good” physically before the start of his first #Browns training camp today. Here is why he told me he is going to be working to better balance his right leg with his left throughout camp & this season.
Beckham has only played in 16 games once in his five-year career. He suffered a hamstring ailment his rookie season, the broken ankle two seasons ago that required surgery and a quad injury last season.
Anderson went on to say that OBJ does not believe people understand the severity of the injuries he has suffered and the compensation issues in his leg.
Jets QB Sam Darnold to Miss Start Against Browns With Mono; Le’Veon Bell Questionable
The Jets will not be at full power when they meet up with the Browns on Monday Night Football this week, with Sam Darnold being held out with mononucleosis.
“Good thing we’ve got an early bye week,” Jets head coach Gase said, referring to the Jets Week 4 bye week.
More bad news broke later, as Le’Veon Bell went to get an MRI on his shoulder. He is currently listed as questionable.
“I’m really not sure,” Gase told reporters when asked about Bell’s status. “This could be just soreness. We don’t think it’s anything worse than that, but we’re probably just being a little extra cautious.”
Former Broncos QB Trevor Siemian will start Monday night against the Browns.
The Browns currently a 6.5-point road favorite for the game. Cleveland was hovering as a 2.5-point favorite when the line opened before the Darnold and Bell news.
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Odell Beckham Blasts ‘Dirty’ Jets Coach Gregg Williams