Myles Garrett stepped up his recruiting of former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. with a message for the polarizing pass catcher on social media.
Garrett posted a series of photos from OTAs on Instagram with the caption, “Come home the fellas miss you.”
The post quickly got the attention of Browns fans and players alike, with Beckham chiming in on the cryptic message.
“Who u talkin to slimeeeeee,” Beckham wrote with a series of emojis.
Garrett responded simply: “It’s time,” with a phone emoji, telling Beckham to give him a ring.
Beckham is an unrestricted free agent who is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in the Super Bowl — his second serious knee injury in as many seasons. Despite his injury, Beckham, one of the NFL’s most recognizable stars, is expected to draw interest after being part of a Super Bowl run with the Rams.
Beckham caught seven touchdowns in his 29-game tenure with the Browns, rarely appearing to be on the same page as Mayfield. In just 11 games in a Rams uniform, he caught seven, showing off the route-running and athletic ability that made him a household name with the New York Giants.
Garrett Was Upset With How OBJ Situation Was Handled
Beckham didn’t leave things in Cleveland on a positive note, essentially forcing his way out. The main catalyst in the situation was Odell Beckham Sr., who posted a video on Instagram on the day of the trade deadline showing all the times Baker Mayfield missed on throws to his son or didn’t see him open. He also went into the comment section of the Instagram post and further trashed Mayfield, even commenting on his contract situation.
Despite how he left, Beckham still has some allies in the locker room in Cleveland, including Garrett, who was upset with how things spiraled out of control last season.
“The man had one touch last week and he was disgruntled,” Garrett said in November of last season amid the drama. “I can’t say it was rightfully so, but he’s the No. 1 receiver. I mean, the No. 1 receiver, you have to expect some things are going to come with that.
“For it to spiral out of control like this, I feel like it shouldn’t have gone this far. But now, I don’t make those decisions. At the end of the day, we’ve got to come together as a team and surround ourselves with the people in this building and move forward.”
Other Browns players have also kept in touch with Beckham, including third-year pass-catcher Donovan Peoples-Jones. More recently, defenders Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Greg Newsome sang his praises on the “Varisty House” podcast, dubbing Beckham as the best teammate they’ve had.
Beckham Return Possible After Quarterback Move
A Beckham reunion in Cleveland is now possible due to Mayfield being out of the picture. The Browns made a move for Deshaun Watson this offseason, sending a package of draft picks — including three first-rounders — to the Texans.
Watson is embroiled in a legal battle, which includes 23 civil suits against the QB for alleged sexual misconduct. The league is still deciding on a suspension, but once he’s cleared, the three-time Pro Bowler is expected to provide a huge boost to head coach Kevin Stefanski’s offense.
“His physical ability certainly jumps out to you on the field,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said at OTAs on Wednesday. “I think it has been impressive to watch this caliber of player be able to get the ball out of his hand quickly and really accurately. As we all know, that is so important.”
Prior to sitting out last season, Watson passed for a league-high 4,823 yards, 33 touchdowns and just seven interceptions.
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Browns Star Myles Garrett on Odell Beckham Signing: ‘It’s Time’