The Browns made a big move for wide receiver Odell Beckham last week and the reasons why they wanted him on the field are clear to anyone who has watched Beckham play football over the last five seasons.
The reasons why some teams would be skeptical about acquiring Beckham have also been easy to see. Whether it is sideline explosions, interviews critical of teammates or something else, Beckham’s done plenty to give people pause about having him on hand despite his on-field production.
One might expect teams with a first-time head coach to wonder if Beckham would prove to be overly disruptive, but the Browns were not put off their pursuit of the wideout. In Football Morning in America, Browns General Manager John Dorsey told Peter King that he does not have those concerns when it comes to how Freddie Kitchens will deal with Beckham.
“From a planning standpoint, you want to surround a first-year head coach with quality coaches at all levels,” Dorsey said. “I think we’ve done that. Surround him with a strong coaching staff. And remember: This head coach is very direct, very honest. He’s going to tell it like it is, and he’ll tell Odell like it is. He will hold players accountable. He’ll let players express themselves, as he should do. We really like Odell. He’s passionate. He’s competitive. He wants to be great. You can’t have enough of those guys. He’s on time. Everything you hear is he’s a great teammate. We’re thrilled to have him.”
Kitchens made a big splash as the interim offensive coordinator during the Browns’ 5-3 finish to last season and there’s plenty of optimism about how he’ll do in the big chair. He’s never done the job, however, and his first outing will come with higher expectations than the Browns have had in a very long time.