GM: Odell Beckham Jr. a 'Long-Term Member' of Browns Amid Trade Rumors

Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry shut down the narrative that the team is interested in trading wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. during an appearance on NFL Network's Good Morning Football on Wednesday. 

During the interview (h/t NFL.com's Nick Shook), Berry said the following about the superstar wideout's status with the team:

"With all due respect to the question, I think this is actually a topic, at least from our perspective, [where] there really hasn't been a ton of ambiguity. We've been clear from the beginning that we view Odell as a fantastic player. We're a better team with him on the field. We see him as a long-term member of the organization. We really like how he's acclimated and adjusted with the new staff. So the rumors, that's not something that we can control, but we're happy to have him as a part of our organization."

Trade rumors have followed OBJ for much of his career, and they did come to fruition last offseason when the New York Giants dealt him to the Browns.

They have persisted in Cleveland, though, especially after Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported in December that Beckham had told opposing coaches to "come get me":

Despite that, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported two weeks ago that the Browns have had no discussions this offseason regarding a potential Beckham trade.

The 27-year-old Beckham had a decent first season in Cleveland, but he didn't perform anywhere near the level most expected. Despite appearing in all 16 games, OBJ finished with just 74 receptions for 1,035 yards and four touchdowns.

His catch, yardage and touchdown totals were all career lows when taking into account the five seasons in which he played at least 12 games.

Many prognosticators predicted the Browns to be an offensive juggernaut and to win the AFC North last season with Beckham joining an offense that already included quarterback Baker Mayfield, running back Nick Chubb and wide receiver Jarvis Landry.

Instead, the Browns regressed compared to 2018 with a 6-10 record and missed the playoffs for the 17th consecutive season.

Beckham is one of the best and most productive wide receivers in the NFL when he is healthy and in a rhythm. OBJ was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his first three NFL seasons with the Giants, and he finished with at least 90 receptions, 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns in each of those campaigns.

The past three seasons haven't been nearly as good Beckham, as he missed all but four games because of injury in 2017, finished with just 1,052 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games in 2018 and dropped off even further last season.

Although Mayfield took a step back last season and the Browns fell well short of expectations, there is cautious optimism entering 2020.

The offensive core of Mayfield, Chubb, Beckham and Landry is back, plus the Browns signed tight end Austin Hooper and will get a full season out of running back Kareem Hunt. Cleveland also signed offensive tackle Jack Conklin and selected offensive tackle Jedrick Wills in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft to fortify the offensive line.

Berry seems prepared to give Beckham every opportunity to bounce back in 2020, especially since he is under contract through 2023 and is set to make $14 million next season.