Browns GM Andrew Berry told reporters at the Combine on Tuesday that they will listen to trade offers for players including WR Odell Beckham Jr this offseason.
“I won’t discuss any specific player in terms of trade opportunities, trade calls or anything like that,’’ Berry said when specifically asked about Beckham, via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “I did work under probably the strongest wheeler-dealer in the league under [Eagles GM] Howie Roseman and it’s something that you always pick up the phone and you listen to anything across the table.
“A lot of trade talk ends up being hollow across the NFL anyway. But again, we’re going to exploit any opportunity to improve the roster through any means necessary.’’
However, Berry did say that they “view him as part of our future.”
“Odell’s a very talented football player,” Berry said. “We view him as part of our future. Kevin and I both have had really good conversations about our expectations for him and we expect him to adapt to those moving forward. We’re excited about the future with Odell, excited about what he’s going to do this fall.”
Beckham Jr’s name has, once again, coming up in trade rumors this offseason, but all indications have been that Cleveland plans to have him in the fold for their 2020 season.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported a few weeks ago that the Browns have no plans to trade him this offseason and explained that the new regime would like for Beckham to show some level of engagement in the offseason including a larger presence in OTAs and conditioning, as they try to learn a new offense.
According to Rapoport, Beckham is likely to remain in Cleveland for at least one more year if he’s willing to do as much.
Beckham’s first year in Cleveland did not go as many assumed, but the Browns have responded by making sweeping changes to the organization in an attempt to get the team back on track.
Beckham underwent surgery this offseason to repair a core muscle injury he battled throughout 2019. He dealt with the injury since training camp, but did not miss a game in 2019.
Beckham, 27, was taken with the No. 12 overall pick by the Giants back in 2014. He was set to make a base salary of $8,459,000 for the 2018 season when he agreed to a new five-year extension worth up to $95 million and includes $65 million in total guarantees.
The Giants traded Beckham to the Browns this offseason for the No. 17 overall pick, their second third-round pick and S Jabrill Peppers.
Beckham stands to make base salaries of $16.75 million and $14 million over the next two years.
In 2019, Beckham appeared in 16 games for the Browns and caught 74 passes for 1,035 yards receiving and four touchdowns.
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