Getty Odell Beckham Jr. of the Cleveland Browns reacts after making a catch.
Multiple contenders reportedly inquired about trading for Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. before he went down with a season-ending injury on Sunday.
The San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots all called to see about Beckham’s availability, per Mark Dondero of WEEI.
Chatter out of Ohio is that the Patriots were one of three teams who called the Browns about an Odell Beckham Jr. trade before he went down. The 49ers and the Saints were the other two.
All three teams need help at wide receiver. Beckham would have given the 49ers a true No. 1 wide receiver to help a passing offense that ranks in the bottom half of the league.
The Saints have been dealing with some issues when it comes to their top pass-catcher Michael Thomas, with rumors even sprouting up that they are shopping him.
Beckham has long been rumored to be a target of the Patriots and he is good friends with quarterback Cam Newton. New England has struggled to pass the ball, averaging less than 200 yards per game this season.
All that being said, the Browns officially placed Beckham on injured reserve on Tuesday and he won’t be going anywhere until he’s healthy.
Beckham recorded 23 receptions for 319 yards and three touchdowns this season. He added 72 rushing yards with one score.
Browns Could be Buyers at Deadline for Wide Receiver Help
With Beckham out, the Browns could look to make a move before the Nov. 3 trade deadline.
“I think we will see how that all plays out,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “I will tell you, I like the guys we have in that room. (General Manager) Andrew (Berry) and his staff, they look and they scour the league every Monday. They do, but we will work through that in the next few days.”
Rumored targets for the Browns include Eagles WR Alshon Jeffrey, Giants pass-catcher Golden Tate, or Kenny Stills of the Texans, per Dianna Russini of ESPN.
But no matter who the Browns bring in, they don’t expect to replace what Beckham brought to the offense.
“Obviously, it’s a big loss,” Stefanski said. “As everyone knows, he is a huge part of what we do. Now we will just have to huddle up and find some different ways and find some different people and put them in that role. Ultimately, we are just trying to do what our players do best. That is our job to figure that out.”
Browns Confident With Wide Receiver Group
GettyJarvis Landry of the Cleveland Browns.
The Browns are confident who they have in their wide receiver room, starting with Jarvis Landry, who took on a big role with Beckham out against the Bengals. He caught, carried and even threw the ball against Cincinnati, doing anything needed to win. And not to mention, he did it all with a cracked rib.
“Really, there is no one tougher on the team,” offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said of Landry. “He’s made out of burlap and tough as nails. … To have an injury like that and to play through it, it sets a fire under everybody else’s butt in that locker room. If ‘Juice’ is out there giving his best with an injured rib, then why are we not doing the same? It really does light a fire into the guys in the locker room.”
Veteran Rashard Higgins also stepped up, catching six passes for a career-high 110 yards last week. Rookie Donovan Peoples-Jones caught three key passes in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning 24-yard touchdown with 11 seconds left.
MAYFIELD TO PEOPLES-JONES.
#Browns have the lead with 11 seconds left!
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“Odell, the energy he brings to practice and the energy he brings to the games, no one else is going to be able to bring that type of juice,” Stefanski said. “It is our job to find the guys that can go compete and that we can go put them in spots where they can succeed. I think we will be able to do that. That is not easy. Do not want to have to do it and I am very disappointed for Odell, but that is the nature of this beast. Injuries are part of this game.”