Getty Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
Odell Beckham might not have had the year he had hoped for last season with the Cleveland Browns, but he still commands respect from many around the league.
Beckham was ranked as the fourth best wide receiver in the NFL in a recent ESPN list, which polled more than 50 league executives, coaches, scouts and players.
“Run after catch, track the deep ball, run every route, blocking — he might be the most complete receiver,” a longtime NFL offensive assistant told ESPN.
But not everyone was so keen on Beckham, who has a reputation around the league as being a flamboyant, volatile personality at times.
“I’ve been watching him quit on plays for years,” one coach told the site.
Another veteran NFL player also chimed in, saying: “The whole game seems like a lot for him. At some point you have to say none of your teams have been successful. At some point you have to wonder about that.”
Beckham has made the playoffs just once in his career and it came in 2016. It resulted in a forgettable 38-13 loss to the Packers. Beckham caught just four passes four 28 yards.
Odell Beckham Has Battled Against Reputation
GettyBrowns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
For the most part, Beckham has been a model citizen since landing in Cleveland last offseason in a blockbuster trade. Despite being caught up in trade rumors, he’s stressed his loyalty to the franchise on multiple occasions and has supported quarterback Baker Mayfield despite a 6-10 finish last season.
“I don’t think anybody really knows what it’s like to be me but me, and what I go through on a daily basis,” Beckham told reporters last season during minicamp. “I feel like I’m in a way different position than anybody else in the NFL. I feel like I deal with more. People bring up my past. I take more (but) I’ve never been in trouble. I’ve never been in cuffs. I’ve never really had a speeding ticket.”
NFL insider Jay Glazer backed the sentiment that Beckham is not who he is perceived to be in the media.
“I’m going to say Odell Beckham Jr,” Glazer wrote in a recent Q&A column for The Athletic. “He’s a very controversial character, but Beckham is one of the coolest guys you’ll meet in the league.
“He’s one of the nicest, most kind-hearted guys. He’s extremely likable to anyone and everyone he’s around. He will go out of his way knowing how it can affect kids when he meets them. His perception is probably different in that way from what people may think.”
That being said, it’s not like Beckham has been completely blameless. During his time coming up with the New York Giants he had multiple incidents that landed him in the headlines for the wrong reasons. He criticized his quarterback Eli manning and had a memorable encounter with a kicking net.
Odell Beckham Ready for ‘Best Season Yet’
Beckham didn’t miss a game last season, but played through multiple injuries during his first season in Cleveland, most notably to his hip and groin. It was also reported at one point that Beckham was playing through a sports hernia.
Despite breaking the 1,000-yard barrier last season, he did not live up to the wild expectations set for him. Beckham finished his first season in Cleveland with 1,035 yards and four touchdowns. However, he was basically playing from behind from the get-go due to the injuries. Beckham had core surgery in January and has been rehabbing relentlessly, sharing an update .
“Recovery’s going well,” Beckham said in the video. “Guess I’m really trying to put my body back together. I’ve been playing for 23 years, so for me, I’m trying to put it all back together in seven months. Trying to build up resiliency, more strength.”
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