Browns: Beckham looks like old self
BEREA — Odell Beckham Jr. has looked like his old self this week while gearing up for Sunday’s opener on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The observation came straight from fellow Browns wide receiver Donovan Peoples-jones.
“He made a real good catch out there today,” Peoples-jones said. “He looked like Odell.”
You mean OBJ looked like his old self?
“Yes, sir,” Peoples-jones said. Beckham is coming back from the torn anterior cruciate ligament he suffered in his left knee Oct. 25. He had surgery Nov. 10.
The Browns ramped him up slowly throughout training camp and held him out of preseason games, but all of that was expected, and every single sign along the comeback trail has pointed to Beckham playing Week 1 in Kansas City, even though the organization has refrained from any public promises.
Beckham returned to team drills on Aug. 26.
“He’s worked hard,” Peoples-jones said. “He’s a big part of this team.
“I’m very excited [to play with him again]. To have our whole strength is always great.”
Owusu-koramoah expects big Week 1 role
Rookie linebacker Jeremiah Owusukoramoah stopped short of saying he’ll start against the defending AFC champion Chiefs, but he definitely anticipates being on the field early and often.
“We’ll see,” Owusu-koramoah said when asked if he expects to start. “That’s up to the coaches. Expectations, I expect to. But nevertheless it’s up to the coaches, what the coaches see and what they believe is best.
“It’s not that important. As long as I have a good role, as long as I make a big impact, take advantage of the time I do get, not too worried about starting. It’s not about how you start, right? It’s about how you finish, so we’ll see about that.”
Whether Owusu-koramoah starts might depend on which package Browns defensive coordinator Joe Woods uses to begin the game. Mack Wilson has been No. 1 on the depth chart at weakside linebacker all offseason, but Owusu-koramoah opening as one of two linebackers in a nickel package wouldn’t be the least bit surprising.