Kevin Stefanski Speaks On The Odell Beckham Jr. Conundrum As Trade Rumors Swirl

The Odell Beckham Jr. tenure in Cleveland has not gone according to plan.

The star receiver has been battling injuries for the past few seasons. And when healthy, has not meshed well with Baker Mayfield and the Browns offense.

As OBJ continues to struggle to find his way in the offense, many have been calling for the team to trade him at the deadline. And after his last lackluster performance on Sunday against the Steelers, “free Odell” was trending all over social media.

But when speaking to reporters on Monday, head coach Kevin Stefanski said that he remains committed to getting Odell Beckham Jr. involved rather than putting him on the trading block.

“I would tell you first and foremost, I need to do a better job. I really do,” Stefanski said, via Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan. “I need to make sure that I put him in position to make some plays, and I did not do a good enough job certainly yesterday.”

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On Sunday, Odell Beckham Jr. caught just one pass for six yards. And on the season, he has just catches for 232 yards and no touchdowns.

“I do. Yeah, I do based off of what I see from him each week,” Stefanski said when asked if OBJ can still be a dynamic player. “Again, I just think he can affect the game. That is where I am really making sure that myself and coaches we have to put him in position to make some plays.”

Baker Mayfield echoed Kevin Stefanski’s sentiment on Odell Beckham Jr. when speaking on the lack of connection that has occurred all season long.

“We have to find ways to format it and get the ball in his hands,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said after the game. “We are not trying to force it to anybody. We have a talented skill group so I just have to continue to go through my reads and do that. We can do a better job of getting the ball in his hands, getting him going early and fixing that.”

Despite the pleas of fans all over, it doesn’t appear that Cleveland has any plans to deal Odell Beckham Jr. this season.

If he continues not to get looks in Kevin Stefanski’s offense, it won’t be too long before Odell starts to voice his frustration.

The Browns are going to have to get Odell Beckham Jr. going if they’re planning on keeping him around through the end of the season. Because if this keeps up, not only will the team suffer, but they’ll have a distraction on their hands.

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