One big touchdown shows why the Cleveland Browns traded for Odell Beckham Jr.
It’s rare in the NFL for one player to be on a different level than everyone else. Those players generally don’t come available in a trade.
The Cleveland Browns didn’t pass up a chance when Odell Beckham Jr. was on the block. His fantastic 89-yard touchdown against the New York Jets was a reminder that he’s a special talent. It was the longest play of his career.
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There’s are always extraneous headlines with Beckham. He’ll wear a $2 million watch in the pregame. He’ll wear an illegal visor and complain he’s being picked on.
But he is one heck of a player.
Odell Beckham Jr. hits a huge play
Beckham can break any game open with one play. The fans at MetLife Stadium have seen it before, though the fans who remember him best wear Giants colors.
The Browns were struggling to put away the Jets, who were down two quarterbacks after Trevor Siemian’s injury. The offense hadn’t done much. Then Baker Mayfield found Beckham on a quick route.
Most receivers can’t turn that into an 89-yard score. But Beckham burst into the secondary, had a sharp move at midfield to turn the safety around and then outraced the defense to the end zone.
The Browns landed a special talent in the offseason.
Beckham gets the best of Gregg Williams
There was a war of words between Beckham and Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams this past week. Beckham accused Williams of having his players take a cheap shot at him, when Williams was defensive coordinator of the Browns. Williams denied that and tried an “Odell who?” joke. It probably wasn’t smart to give Beckham any more motivation.
Beckham will always draw attention that teams don’t necessarily love. He’s a celebrity and everything he does is a story. He invites attention to himself.
But the Browns have no regrets.
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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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