Odell Beckham Jr. Rumors: Raiders, Saints Interested in Browns WR amid Controversy

The New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders are among the teams that have interest in Odell Beckham Jr. if he's released by the Cleveland Browns, according to Jordan Schultz. 

Beckham was absent from Wednesday's practice amid a seeming falling out with the organization. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters Beckham was excused from practice, and his agent is set to meet with general manager Andrew Berry to discuss the wideout's future with the team.

Beckham is coming off the worst single-game performance of his career, hauling in just one pass for six yards in Sunday's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The game was a microcosm of Beckham's continued failure to connect with Baker Mayfield two and a half seasons into their partnership. Beckham's father added fuel to the fire Tuesday by posting a video that shows Mayfield missing his son on several occasions.

“I've had conversations with his dad before, man-to-man, face-to-face. And I was pretty surprised by the video and the intentions and the feelings behind it. I would be lying if I said otherwise,” Mayfield told reporters Wednesday.

Mayfield said he would be able to squash whatever tension exists between himself and Beckham for the sake of winning if he returns to the team. The Browns are paying Beckham a $14.5 million base salary this season.

The Saints and Raiders are natural fits for Beckham should he be released given their current situations at wide receiver. New Orleans has perhaps the worst group of pass-catchers in the NFL and will be without Michael Thomas for the rest of the 2021 season. The Raiders released wideout Henry Ruggs III this week after he was charged with DUI resulting in death in relation to a car crash that killed a 23-year-old woman.