Getty Images Saints receiver Michael Thomas.
The Cleveland Browns have some decisions to make with the trade deadline approaching, which could include taking some calls on wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
A proposed trade that was shot down by Cleveland.com Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot saw Beckham heading home to New Orleans in a wide receiver swap for Michael Thomas, who played his college ball at Ohio State. Cabot cites a variety of reasons, premier among those being Beckham’s large cap number and the fact that he’d basically be a one-year rental.
Beckham’s cap number is $15.75 million, and most teams don’t have the space to take that on. Beckham also has no guaranteed money left after this season, so a team would essentially be renting him for a year or looking at big extension. The Browns wouldn’t get much in draft pick compensation for a potential one-year player.
Cabot also notes that the Browns value Beckham as part of the offense and don’t plan on dealing him this season. She also points out that the brass in Cleveland believes the three-time Pro Bowl pass catcher and quarterback Baker Mayfield will continue to improve their chemistry.
Thomas is one of the best wide receivers in the league when healthy but is coming off ankle surgery. He led the league in receptions in 2018 and 2019 and is signed through 2025.
Chemistry Between Mayfield, Beckham Needs to Evolve
Since Beckham arrived in Cleveland, his on-field chemistry with Mayfield has been a constant topic of conversation. Even this year, the two have had a hard time finding a constant rhythm but have been working through it.
“Film. We watch the film. We talk about it. I talked to him after the game. I talked to him Monday after meetings. Played Call of Duty with him on Tuesday,” Beckham told reporters on Thursday, October 7. “We talk all of the time you know. Anybody who is great and expects greatness out of themselves is going to be upset when they miss an opportunity. He wants to be great. I want to be great. Yeah, we want perfection. We want the best, but it happens.”
One especially painful miss happened last week, with Beckham beating his man late in the fourth quarter but the throw from Mayfield missing the mark.
“The one to Odell late on the third down, we talked about just communication-wise and kind of hit on that after the game,” Mayfield said. “Seeing one thing and just making sure we have all those things and all those little details that we talk about all of the way through.”
Beckham Respects Mayfield for Playing Through Pain
It was recently revealed that Mayfield is dealing with a torn labrum, although the former first-round pick is adamant it wasn’t the source of his rough showing a week ago. Beckham feels Mayfield’s pain and says he’s been dealing with the same thing for years.
“That s–t hurts. He’s tough,” Beckham said of Mayfield.
Beckham recently talked about his shoulder popping out in his debut against the Bears, although it hasn’t slowed him. Mayfield will wear a harness on the shoulder going forward.
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