Best- and Worst-Case Scenario Landing Spots for Browns WR Odell Beckham Jr.

David Richard/Associated Press

Odell Beckham Jr. was one of the most common names appearing in trade rumors these last few weeks. With Tuesday’s deadline passing without the Cleveland Browns finding a taker for the disgruntled wideout, the team now must weigh its options.

With so many possibilities in play, only one thing seems certain: Beckham will no longer be a member of the Browns this season.

Whether he’s kept inactive and traded in the offseason or outright released soon remains uncertain, but the club appears ready to forge ahead without the 28-year-old.

After a social media firestorm Tuesday involving a video Beckham’s father shared and the receiver being excused from practice for a “non-injury-related personal matter,” the writing is on the wall. Beckham was again excused with talks continuing as of Thursday morning, according to the NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Considering Cleveland has little leverage—it’s unlikely the Browns would be able to suspend him without pay for detrimental conduct and wouldn’t be able to execute a trade until March—a release seems to be the most likely path forward.

If Beckham is cut, there is little chance another organization would place a claim in. He is still owed around $8 million of his $15.75 million salary for 2021, the final year with guaranteed money remaining on his contract.

When he clears waivers, Beckham will be able to sign with a team of his choosing while double-dipping a salary paid by the Browns. It’s unlikely he’ll command much more than the minimum from his new team, opening the door for him to sign with just about any contender.

There should be no shortage of parties interested in Beckham’s services, as many teams are lacking talent and/or depth in their receiving corps.

That doesn’t mean Beckham will find success wherever he goes, especially after struggling for the last two-and-a-half seasons in Cleveland.

With that in mind, here is a look at two of the more realistic landing spots for the eighth-year veteran. One of them looks like a great match on paper, but a partnership may not bear fruit. The other may not seem like the best immediate fit, but winding up there would ultimately be the most beneficial move for both Beckham and the club.

Worst Case: Kansas City Chiefs

Reed Hoffmann/Associated Press

The Chiefs are in the middle of a trying season. After retooling their offensive line following a humbling Super Bowl defeat, the back-to-back AFC champions appeared stronger than ever.

Nearly halfway through the campaign, the 4-4 Chiefs have just as good of a shot at missing the playoffs as making another run.

The club has had issues generating offense in recent weeks, with superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes especially struggling.

Mahomes is slogging through his worst season as a professional, completing 66.5 percent of his passes for 2,368 yards and 19 touchdowns with 10 interceptions and 16 sacks through eight games. He’s thrown for only one score while being picked twice and sacked six times in Kansas City’s past two games alone.

Even Travis Kelce hasn’t been able to get it going consistently, as the six-time Pro Bowl tight end only reeled in four receptions for 27 yards with a fumble versus the New York Giants last week.

Tyreek Hill is still looking dominant, but it might seem like the Chiefs could use more firepower. Signing Beckham may seem like a move that could solve the team’s offensive issues, but it’s a dice roll the Chiefs don’t need to take.

Kansas City has already taken on a reclamation project at the position with Josh Gordon. The mercurial wideout hasn’t had any significant impact since signing in late September, though, catching just one pass on three targets over four contests.

With Gordon still being brought up to speed, the Chiefs already have their hands full. He earned a season-high 32 snaps Monday night—more than he saw in the three prior games combined—but drew only one look against the Giants.

The team should be working on maximizing Gordon’s talent rather than beginning the arduous process of integrating a wideout into Andy Reid’s complex offense midway through the season for the second time in the last month.

Best Case: New England Patriots

Diamond Images/Getty Images

Few would have suspected the Patriots and Chiefs would own the same record going into Week 9.

The team is on the rise after rapidly moving through a post-Tom Brady rebuild. New England looks to have found a franchise quarterback in Mac Jones, an impressive rookie who has displayed uncanny poise and accuracy at 23 years old.

The Patriots should now be hunting for a high-end wideout to augment Jones’ development. Head coach Bill Belichick did well overhauling both the tight end room and receiving corps in free agency—bringing in Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith, Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne—but the offense still lacks a true No. 1 wideout.

Bringing in Beckham could change that immediately, providing Jones with a playmaker capable of taking over with his speed, athleticism and catching ability.

Jakobi Meyers is currently working as Jones’ top target, reeling in 45 receptions on 68 targets for 427 yards. While Meyers has established early chemistry with Jones, the third-year veteran hasn’t found the end zone once in his career. He isn’t likely to become the type of game-breaker that Beckham still has the potential to be.

The Patriots have had prior success with rehabilitating disgruntled, slumping wide receivers. There is no better example of this than Randy Moss, who was going through the motions with the Oakland Raiders before landing in New England back in 2007.

The move revitalized Moss’ career almost instantly. He returned to his superstar ways in Foxborough, becoming a key piece in New England’s historic 2007 offense and setting a single-season record of 23 receiving touchdowns that still stands today.

While Moss admittedly had Tom Brady in his prime throwing him the ball, Beckham could see a surge in production with this club. He has been struggling to carve out a role with the Browns, catching just 114 passes on 210 targets for 1,586 yards and seven touchdowns over 29 games.

Beckham, a talent who made three straight Pro Bowls with the Giants between 2014 and 2016 while catching 288 passes for 4,122 yards and 35 touchdowns, would quickly slot in as New England’s No. 1 wideout.

While the pickup alone may not elevate the Patriots to a Super Bowl contender, it could solve a major piece of the puzzle. Getting a guy who can still be one of the game’s best will have this team in a much better position to contend over the back half of the 2021 campaign and possibly beyond.