Updated: Odell Beckham Jr. suffered a torn ACL in Cleveland’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7 and will miss the remainder of the 2020 NFL season. Rumors about a potential trade will have to wait until the offseason.
Regardless of what his future holds, OBJ seems to be rehabbing well since undergoing surgery to repair his injured knee, as was captured by Overtime:
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is once again not a happy camper following the team’s blowout Week 6 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. It has now led to more rumors regarding a potential trade ahead of the Nov. 3 NFL trade deadline.
After winning four consecutive games following their season-opening blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the Browns fell this past Sunday to Pittsburgh by the score of 38-7. Beckham caught all of two passes for 25 yards in the 31-point defeat.
Even after winning four in a row prior to Sunday’s outing, Beckham was clearly frustrated on the sideline. It adds another layer to rumors suggesting that he might not be long in Cleveland.
This belief was backed up by respected Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com in an in-depth piece after Week 1. It has now taking on new meaning following Week 6’s events in Pittsburgh. Between those factors and how little chemistry Beckham has had with Baker Mayfield, the writing may already be on the wall. After all, the play that ended the Pro Bowl wideout’s 2020 season was a Mayfield interception on a pass intended for OBJ.
If the Browns were to deal their most talented offensive player, here’s a look at the most-likely trade scenarios.
Odell Beckham Jr. traded to the New England Patriots
- Leave it to Bill Belichick to pull off a trade of this ilk. We’ve seen it in the past with the likes of Randy Moss. The six-time Super Bowl champion head coach is not afraid to pull off that blockbuster.
- New England is certainly in need of a No. 1 receiver for new starting quarterback Cam Newton. The team looked like a legit contender after Newton’s performance in his debut with the team. Since then, the Patriots have lost three of four.
- Second-year pass catcher N’Keal Harry has yet to live up to expectations. Julian Edelman is on his last legs. Imagine New England teaming Newton up with Beckham Jr. That would be so much fun.
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Odell Beckham Jr. traded to the San Francisco 49ers
- This is not a rumor that comes out of left field. San Francisco actually offered more than what the Browns paid to acquire OBJ from the New York Giants ahead of last season. New York simply did not want to trade him to an NFC rival.
- The backdrop here is San Francisco’s 3-3 start to the season and the injuries the team has suffered through. Pass catchers George Kittle and Deebo Samuel just recently returned from injuries.
- The defending NFC champs also have not been shy about pulling off that blockbuster deal. Recent trades for Trent Williams, Emmanuel Sanders and Dee Ford paints the picture of an aggressive general manager in that of John Lynch. They might need to do that again in order to overcome the wholesale injuries we’ve seen this season.
Odell Beckham Jr. traded to the Philadelphia Eagles
- It’s already known that Alshon Jeffery is seemingly on the outs in Philadelphia. The team attempted to trade him ahead of Week 1. However, injury issues prevented that from happening.
- Outside of Jeffery, the Eagles have another injury-prone receiver in that of DeSean Jackson. Simply put, the team needs more receiving weapons for Carson Wentz. That’s magnified given that Wentz himself continues to struggle under center.
- It would not be a shock of Philadelphia called up Cleveland about Beckham Jr. Despite the team’s 1-4-1 start to the 2020 season, Philadelphia is said to be aggressive leading up to the trade deadline.
Related: Trade options for the Eagles
Odell Beckham Jr. traded to the Green Bay Packers
- Davante Adams is a legit star with the Packers. In fact, the Pro Bowler caught a resounding 14 passes for 156 yards in Week 2’s win over the Minnesota Vikings. Unfortunately, Adams just recently returned from a multi-game absence.
- Outside of that, it’s a whole lot of unproven for Aaron Rodgers at wide receiver. Allen Lazard has stepped up big time. But he’s now out for an undetermined amount of time with a core muscle injury.
- The idea of teaming Beckham Jr. up with Adams might be too hard for aggressive general manager Brian Gutekunst to pass up on. That especially true with Aaron Rodgers playing at an MVP level.
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Odell Beckham Jr. traded to the Las Vegas Raiders
- Come on. This has to be the the best fit of the lot. Jon Gruden going after another disgruntled wide receiver after the entire Antonio Brown fiasco.
- In all seriousness, OBJ to Las Vegas makes a ton of sense. The team lost star receiver Tyrell Williams to a season-ending injury during training camp. It is relying on two rookies, Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards, as starters.
- Ruggs showed up big time in his debut Week 1 against Carolina. He’s going to be a star in the NFL. Imagine Ruggs and Beckham Jr. doing their thing in Las Vegas. Talk about the entertainment capital of the world.