5 teams who should still make trade offer for Odell Beckham Jr.
The Cleveland Browns keep having to squash trade speculation on Odell Beckham, but these five teams should make an offer anyway.
After one dismal season with the Cleveland Browns, trade speculation naturally surfaced around wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. A bad loss in Week 1, as he caught three of 10 targets against the Baltimore Ravens brought trade talk back, and a 43-yard touchdown in Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals among his seven catches for 96 yards through two games has not tamped it down too much.
The Browns have issued a fresh denial they are willing to trade Beckham or are shopping him, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported they did not entertain trading him before last Thursday night and have had no plans or discussions about trading him this season.
“No plans or discussions this season” is actually not that huge of a denial, and it surely keeps the door open to offers.
Week 2 showed Cleveland’s best formula to win, as running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt combined for 210 rushing yards against the Bengals. That is also not a formula for Beckham to see a lot of action, and signs of a better connection with Baker Mayfield they would surely have shown themselves before 18 games in now.
Beckham is under contract through 2023, with a cap hit of $15.75 million in 2021 and cap hits of $15 million in both 2022 and 2023. Based on his talent, and where the wide receiver market has gone, that could prove to be a bargain if he can get on track in the right setting.
Even if the Browns are making sure it’s out in the media they aren’t even thinking about trading Beckham, these five teams should be ready to make an offer anyway.
5 teams that should still make a trade offer for Odell Beckham
5. Washington Football Team
Washington apparently fell just short of signing Amari Cooper in free agency, and as trade rumors surfaced around Bears’ wide receiver Allen Robinson they were easy to point to as a possible suitor.
A big concern for Washington here would be Dwayne Haskins. It’s easy to see the idea of having to force the ball to Beckham, if only to pacify him, has stunted Mayfield’s development. Haskins isn’t necessarily locked in as the quarterback of the future, but he has shown signs of promise despite a supporting cast that’s still lacking in talent. Adding someone of Beckham’s ilk, as a personality if not a possibly eroding talent who can’t back up his brashness too, might not be good.
But Washington head coach Ron Rivera has expectations to get good as he instills a new culture, and possibly quickly. The opportunity to add Beckham would be hard to turn down if all it take is making a solid offer.