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This was it.
This was supposed to be the year—after so many years of haplessness and disappointment—that the Cleveland Browns would finally leave the dysfunction and drama behind and make everyone forget they were the laughing stock of the NFL just a couple of seasons ago.
Sure, it had been over a decade since the team had even sniffed the playoffs (and 17 years since they’d made them) but there were even some people who didn’t think it was too far-fetched to suggest they might even be able to make the Super Bowl thanks to a maturing Baker Mayfield and the addition of a superstar in the form of Odell Beckham Jr.
Yeaaaaah. About that…
The Browns are currently sporting a 6-7 record, which would be fantastic news for them if they played in the NFC East. Sadly, they do not, and as a result, they face an uphill battle if they want to make the postseason this year.
Unfortunately for Cleveland, they’ll also have to deal with the drama currently surrounding Beckham Jr. Last week, the wide receiver downplayed reports he was unhappy with his current situation, but shortly after, rumors started to circulate that he’s been taking time out of games to tell other coaches and players to try to trade for him.
While he declined to address the speculation following the Browns’ win over the Bengals on Sunday, we also recently learned he’s playing with a hernia injury that will likely require surgery in the offseason—an injury that was apparently mishandled by the team’s training staff if Baker Mayfield is to be believed.
On Monday, Yahoo Sports published a report that provided some more insight into Beckham Jr.’s current mindset and indicated there’s a chance Dallas is a potential destination based on what some of the people who spoke to the article’s author Charles Robinson had to say:
“He has an opinionated circle of friends and family that surrounds him. Some still speak in hopeful tones about him potentially ending up with the Dallas Cowboys, which would put him in close proximity to his parents.”
As Total Pro Sports notes, the Cowboys—who are reportedly on the verge of signing Dak Prescott to a monster contract—were in the running as a potential destination when Beckham Jr. decided he was over the Giants and they could certainly use all the help they can get as they try to sort things out in Dallas.
More on Odell Beckham Jr’s “preference” list of teams in a trade: He liked the idea of the #Cowboys (he’s close to Dak + facing the #Giants). Also, the #Broncos (he’s close to Von). But I was told that his unquestionable top choice was uniting with Jarvis Landry and the #Browns.
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) March 13, 2019
At this point, it’s probably a bit pointless to speculate based on how long we have between now and when the wide receiver will be eligible to hit the market but something tells me that won’t stop plenty of people from doing exactly that.