Odell Beckham Jr. to Be Released by Browns; Will Be Placed on Waivers

The Cleveland Browns are finalizing the release of wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. after he wasn't moved ahead of the 2021 NFL trade deadline.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the news early Friday morning, noting the wideout will be placed on waivers as a result.

The move comes after Adam Schefter of ESPN reported the Browns were attempting to convert Beckham's base salary into a signing bonus, which would make it easier for other teams to claim him. The sides ultimately agreed on a restructured contract. 

Beckham's arrival in Cleveland after a March 2019 trade from the New York Giants was much hyped, and the LSU product was expected to become a cornerstone of the Browns' rebuilt offense.

However, the 29-year-old struggled to make a high-end impact. He ends his time in Cleveland with 114 catches for 1,586 yards and seven touchdowns in 29 games.

His frustration started to show as early as the 32-28 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 6 of the 2019 campaign.

"We are tired of the 'almost good and not enough' talk," OBJ told reporters. "That is just the mentality we have to have, and we can't sit here and think that we played well and just move on to the next one. That was the last of the 'we should have won,' and now, we have to win those games, period."

The Browns finally turned a corner in 2020, posting an 11-5 record to make the playoffs, but the star wideout only played in seven games before suffering a season-ending torn ACL.

He returned for the 2021 campaign, but he failed to make a significant impact, and his relationship with the franchise deteriorated, leading to rumors of a potential departure.

Beckham was one of the NFL's most productive receivers during his time with the Giants, who selected him with the 12th overall pick in the 2014 draft. He recorded at least 90 catches, 1,300 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in each of his first three professional seasons.

The three-time Pro Bowl selection was limited to four games in 2017 because of ankle injuries, but he bounced back in 2018 with 1,052 yards in only 12 appearances.

Beckham was under contract through 2023 under a five-year, $90 million deal he signed with the Giants in 2018. His cap hit was at least $14.25 million in every season of the pact, per Spotrac.

While it's unclear whether the wideout will ever return to the days when he was one of the NFL's most productive outside targets, he still figures to attract a lot of attention on the free-agent market, especially if he's willing to sign a short, team-friendly deal for the rest of 2021.

He could probably also attract more lucrative multiyear offers if that's the route he wants to go, but it's often difficult for contenders to make those deals midseason. Bolstering his value by finishing the year strong before hitting free agency again in the offseason makes sense.

Beckham's tenure with Cleveland didn't go nearly as well as either side hoped, but he still has a chance to re-emerge as an impact player elsewhere.