The Cleveland Browns went from having multiple press conferences on Friday to the league meetings in Florida this weekend. Friday we heard from QB Deshaun Watson for the first time. He defended himself as he has in the past. We also heard from Dee and Jimmy Haslam who presented their comfort with Watson and the legal system.
Perhaps forgotten with all the Watson things was Browns safety John Johnson III saying Odell Beckham Jr. was returning to Cleveland. While Beckham had bad things to say to Von Miller before the season, he hasn’t spoken negatively about the team in public.
Now a free agent, and with Baker Mayfield likely traded out of town by the NFL draft, Beckham is free to sign at any time. Unfortunately, the receiver tore his ACL in the Super Bowl and will miss most of the 2022 season.
Since Johnson thinks Beckham is coming back, head coach Kevin Stefanski was asked about it at the league meetings:
#Browns Kevin Stefanski on FA Odell Beckham Jr. not slamming the door shut on a return to CLE: “I really like Odell. We’ll see how it all plays out.”
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) March 28, 2022
An interesting choice of words as timing could play a role in any decision. Currently, Mayfield is still on the Browns roster and Beckham is just a couple of months out from his surgery. It was also interesting that he used the word “like” but used the word “love” to describe Jarvis Landry:
#Browns coach Kevin Stefanski on Jarvis Landry: We've got to let the process play out for all those players, I love Jarvis and the player, but we've got to let it play out
— Nate Ulrich (@ByNateUlrich) March 28, 2022
Could it “play out” with both players returning to Cleveland in 2022? As individuals, it seems unlikely. Together, even more so but anything is possible.