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The Cleveland Browns traded for Odell Beckham Jr. to add a difference-making talent. He'll do that as a receiver and overall offensive weapon, and perhaps on punt returns as well. The three-time Pro-Bowl receiver decided to test his chops as a return man after Friday's training camp practice, as he joined the rest of the returners in punt drills.
According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Beckham said he'd have “no problem” if asked to return punts in a game, but only if the rest of the return team does their jobs correctly:
Odell Beckham Jr. caught punts with other #Browns players after practice. Says he’d have “no problem” if asked to do it in a game. “Just make sure everybody gets the outside man…”
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 2, 2019
Beckham has returned punts in his NFL career. As a rookie, he caught 21 boots and turned them into 171 yards. The next season he returned two for 26 yards, then 10 for 66 in 2016. In 2017, he didn't return any punts, in large part due to a season-ending injury. In his last year as a New York Giant, he saw eight returns, turning them into 34 yards.
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At LSU, Beckham saw 62 punts go his way. He returned them for a total of 557 yards and scored on them twice. He also fielded 42 kicks for 1,044 yards as a Tiger.
Currently, second-year receiver Antonio Callaway is listed as the team's punt returner. As a rookie, he returned five punts for a total of 61 yards. He's also the fourth receiver on the depth chart.
It's unknown if the Browns will use Beckham as a return man considering their assets given up for him and his injury history. But if they want him to do it, he can do so.
