The Cleveland Browns, poised to be among the NFL's most improved teams in 2019, continued on-field activities this week without the offseason acquisition whose presence most accounts for that optimism. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. wasn't on the practice field Tuesday, marking the fourth session of organized team activities he's missed since last week.
No #Browns Odell Beckham out on the practice field today. 2nd week of OTAs. Wasn’t here yesterday either. That makes one out of 5 so far
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) May 22, 2019
Beckham was on the field with his new team for the first practice of OTAs last week. The Browns even released a short video of him catching passes from franchise quarterback Baker Mayfield.
The following day, however, Beckham was absent, a development many owed to the fact that Tuesday's session was the first of the offseason open to the media and he might have wanted to avoid public scrutiny after a charged offseason. But he missed every additional session last week, too, and that he also hasn't been present in the interim suggests Beckham will continue training by his lonesome in the run up to training camp rather than join Cleveland full-time.
It bears stressing that OTAs are voluntary. While most Browns players and those around the NFL reported to begin practicing with their team, many high-profile stars across the league are staying away from team facilities, especially those who desire a new contract.
Still, Beckham's reputation, earned or otherwise, as a me-first distraction in the locker room precedes him, and his ongoing absence will only spark more questions about not just his commitment to football, but his level of contentment after being traded to Cleveland from the New York Giants in March.
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