Cowherd: Odell Beckham Jr. Wants to Be Traded by Browns Amid Vikings Buzz

Fox Sports 1's Colin Cowherd reported on his The Herd radio show on Wednesday that Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. "wants out":

"He's been a good soldier," Cowherd said. "He's not gonna make a big deal. He'll deny it. He wants to get along with everybody. ... Let's just say this: OBJ will not go public, [but] he knows Minnesota is a good place. He knows it's a good fit."

Earlier Wednesday, WFAN radio host Marc Malusis reported that Beckham was the subject of trade discussions between the Browns and Minnesota Vikings:

Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot had an anonymous Vikings source refute that report:

Cleveland acquired the 27-year-old star wideout from the New York Giants in March 2019.

The Giants originally drafted Beckham 12th overall in 2014. He notched three straight 1,000-yard receiving campaigns to begin his career from 2014 to '16 before a fractured ankle limited him to four games in 2017. He caught 124 balls for 1,052 yards and six touchdowns during his last season in New York. 

In 2019, the LSU product played through a core muscle injury described by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport in early December as "a serious and often painful sports hernia injury." Beckham recorded 1,035 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games. He underwent surgery in late January.

Around the same time, Rapoport reported that the Browns "very much want to keep" Beckham:

"

From Super Bowl Live: The #Browns want to move forward with WR Odell Beckham Jr, but how present he is this offseason and for OTAs may go a long way in determining that. pic.twitter.com/RMfekoLrQX

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 31, 2020"

Beckham and fellow Browns receiver Jarvis Landry were both reported to be telling opposing teams they wanted out of Cleveland during the season:

Beckham strongly denied that, though, in mid-December (h/t Cabot):

"It's done. It's over with. I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here. We're going to figure this thing out. It's just too special to leave.

"Yeah, we're going to be here. We're going to do it again, and correct all the little mistakes, and all the 'if we would have did this' games. It's just too good. I didn't buy a house here to sell it. I know people have said 'I didn't sign and trade them' before, but I didn't buy a house here to up and leave it and do renovations on a house and build a dog house."

Minnesota being a potential suitor is a new development, presumably fueled by the Vikings trading Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills last month. Beckham would fill the void left behind by Diggs, who led the team with 1,130 yards and six touchdowns on 63 catches last season.

The Vikings' No. 1 option entering 2020 is 29-year-old Pro Bowler Adam Thielen.