One of the NFL’s many enigmas will hit the waiver wire on Monday, as Odell Beckham Jr.’s time with the Browns came to an end on Friday.
Beckham Jr.’s stint in Cleveland went south in a hurry. The 29-year-old became disgruntled with the lack of targets he had been receiving from Browns QB Baker Mayfield, and Beckham Jr.’s father even posted a video featuring clips of Mayfield not throwing to his open son.
Beckham Jr. was excused from two practices earlier this week
Now the Browns and Beckham Jr. have agreed to part ways. The talented wide receiver will be available for the taking in less than 48 hours. So who is going to claim him?
The Jets are currently sixth in the waiver order, giving them a legitimate shot to land the three-time Pro Bowler if they want him. Should Joe Douglas be interested in bringing OBJ back to the Big Apple? Let’s just say that’s not the best idea.
First off, New York is not the place for Beckham Jr. if he wants the ball more. Elijah Moore has come into his own the last two weeks, Jamison Crowder is ole reliable in the slot, and Michael Carter and Ty Johnson see more than their fair share of targets out of the backfield. The picture becomes even more crowded when Corey Davis returns from a hip flexor injury.
As talented as Beckham Jr. is, the Jets don’t have much space for him. New York’s wide receiver room is not littered with world-beaters, but it has players — not named Denzel Mims — who are comfortable with Mike LaFleur’s west coast offense and his play-calling at this point in the season. Wide receiver is one of the team’s few strengths. There is no reason to mess with that by adding a rental player in a lost season.
There’s also the potential for distractions wherever Beckham Jr. lands. The wide receiver has often found himself in the news — for overblown and justified reasons — and the Jets don’t need that with Robert Saleh in the middle of trying to change New York’s culture.
Imagine if LaFleur told Beckham Jr. he couldn’t play as much as he wanted because he didn’t know the intricacies of one of the three wide receiver positions in his offense? Mims took that same critique in stride, but the after-effects of that fallout would be felt from Florham Park to East Rutherford with Beckham Jr. At least the Giants would get a much-needed laugh out of it.
Beckham Jr. is a good player. He might not be an All-Pro caliber player at this stage in his career, but he can still help a contender. He’s just not a fit with the Jets. New York shouldn’t want him and even though it is out of his control, Beckham Jr. shouldn’t want to return to The Garden State, either.
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