CLEVELAND, Ohio – You have very few unexpressed feelings and thoughts.
That’s one of the things the Browns and their fans learned after being around Odell Beckham Jr. for a while. The recipient is an emotional man and is very sensitive to criticism. Part of me wonders if Beckham will ever be content with the Browns. My sense is that Beckham will always struggle with feeling some discontent regardless of his situation.
But that’s not as important as this question: Will he be productive on offense for new head coach Kevin Stefanski? That’s not something that can simply be measured in the number of catches and yards.
Beckham participated in an online roundtable discussion with Cam Newton, Victor Cruz and Todd Gurley called “The Bigger Picture”. They discussed a variety of topics. But this comment caught my attention: “I want an opportunity to catch the ball. I want the same opportunities that all of these other receivers have in the league when they get 2,000 goals and end up with 150 sacks. “
Let’s understand that Beckham is speaking in hyperbole. But he conveyed a message: He wants more opportunities to catch.
Some statistics from 2019 at Beckham:
1. Ranked 15th with 133 goals, Jarvis Landry was No. 10 with 138. Only five receivers had more than 150.
2. In other words, Beckham’s ball was thrown a lot in his direction. Minnesota’s main catcher was Stefon Diggs, attacked only 91 times in Stefanski’s offense in Minnesota.
3. According to Profootballfocus (PFF), Beckham had the most “deep turnovers (more than 20 yards) considered the fault of the QB in 2019.” Here are the stats: Beckham (16), James Washington (12) and Robbie Anderson (12)
4. So if you thought the Browns were sometimes forcing the ball to Beckham by Baker Mayfield throwing the ball with little chance of success, you’re right.
5. It can’t just be about goals, but what kind of passes? Mayfield was ranked 31st out of 32 starting QBs in completion percentage (59 percent). One of Stefanski’s big goals is to increase that completion number for Mayfield.
What is realistic?
Stefanski comes to town on an offensive that loves running game and game action passes, often aiming for tight ends. This should be ideal for the Browns, who have two Pro Bowl running backs at Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb.
Signed tight end free agent Austin Hooper. David Njoku has said he would rather be traded than play in an offense that used at least two tight ends in 59 percent of Stefanski’s called plays last season. He should stay, there are opportunities for him.
But what about wide receivers Landry and Beckham? My guess is that Landry will be content without being attacked 2,000 times. Landry wants the ball. But in 2018, he showed how he could fit into a balanced run / pass offense.
Minnesota’s top catcher last season was Diggs, with 63 catches. They threw 42 passes fewer than Beckham in 2019. But Diggs was extremely productive. He averaged 17.9 yards per catch, No. 4 between catchers. He also totaled more yards (1,130) than Beckham (1,035).
However, Diggs was not happy. I wanted more goals. He had dropped from 149 goals and 102 sacks in 2018 under former coordinator John DeFilippo to far fewer passes with Stefanski. It was delivered after the 2019 season to Buffalo.
Vikings were 8-7-1 in 2018 throwing the ball often. They went up to 10-6 in 2019 with Stefanski calling plays and throwing 140 fewer passes than the year before.
I hope the Browns throw the ball less this season, especially to catchers. Beckham needs to be ready for that.
GREAT YEAR FOR BECKHAM
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell rated the skill players on every NFL team, not counting QBs. He was running running back and catching, and the Browns came in at number 2 behind Kansas City.
Barnwell wrote this about Beckham:
“He played through a hernia in 2019, and there is a good chance he will recover in 2020. But it is also fair to note that we are now three years away from OBJ, who was one of the best amphibians in the league with the Giants. “
“Beckham averaged 95.9 receiving yards per game in his first three seasons, and that number dropped to 74.7 yards in the past three seasons. … If Beckham has another season where he doesn’t measure up to that level of play ( in his first three years), we probably need to re-evaluate our expectations for one of the league’s most talented catchers. “
In 2019, Beckham played all 16 games just for the second time in his seven-year career. But he was rarely healthy. He didn’t practice much to protect his body.
“Every year, I still have 1,000 yards and they want to talk about ‘you’re not the same player,'” Beckham said at that round table. “I understand the game now. And that’s why you see that the blonde is back.”
He intended to re-color his blonde hair as he did in his best seasons with New York.
For the Browns to have a winning record, they have to use Beckham wisely, like Minnesota did with Diggs a year ago. Can you accept that role?
Beckham has been on a single winning team in his seven seasons. This losing trend may change in 2020 if you realize how the offense will accentuate runners and shorter passes to a variety of receivers.
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