The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Beckham: ‘A fresh start for me’
The instant the clock read 4 p.m. on March 13, the Browns officially announced two trades with the Giants.
Too bad training camp doesn’t start tomorrow for the Browns, because everybody connected to the team is ready to play some football after what was accomplished in 2018 and the way 2019 has begun.
The instant the clock read 4 p.m. on March 13, the Browns officially announced two trades with the Giants: the one acquiring Pro Bowl receiver Odell Beckham Jr. for safety Jabrill Peppers plus picks 17 and 95 in the 2019 draft and the one acquiring defensive end Olivier Vernon for guard Kevin Zeitler.
“I’m extremely excited about the opportunity to be part of this organization and the direction they are headed,” Beckham said in a statement. “I’ve already witnessed the energy fans bring in that city having been to some playoff games at The Q. Browns fans deserve a winning football team.
“This is a fresh start for me and it’s going to be great to join Baker (Mayfield) and Jarvis (Landry) on this team. I will always appreciate the opportunity the Giants granted me and I’m thankful to them along with the fans and people in that city for supporting me.”
Beckham 26, was the 12th pick of the 2014 draft. He caught 91, 96 and 101 passes his first three years in the league for a total of 4,122 yards and 35 touchdowns.
Injuries limited Beckham to four games in 2017. He played in 12 games last season but still managed 77 catches for 1,052 yards and six touchdowns.
“He’s probably if not the one, one or two best receivers in the National Football League,” Browns general manager John Dorsey said in a statement. “Very rarely do you get a chance to acquire a player of this magnitude. He’s at a relatively young age. He’s got a lot of football left in him. Great hands, great work ethic, committed, competitive, he really wants to be great. And that’s all you can ask for.”
Landry, a teammate of Beckham’s at LSU and a close friend of Beckham’s gushed about the trade on Twitter with the message “You thought it was scary in college” along with video highlights of their days at LSU.
Vernon’s arrival is quiet compared to the fanfare surrounding Beckham. Vernon played four seasons with the Dolphins and the last three with the Giants. He played defensive end his first six years before moving to linebacker with the Giants last season. He will be back at end with the Browns playing opposite Myles Garrett.
“Now he gets a chance to go back to what he naturally does: put his hand in the ground and be able to pressure the quarterback,” Dorsey said. “I think when you combine him with a Myles Garrett, now you have two guys on the outside that can put an incredible amount of pressure on the quarterback, and that’s what you want in this defense. I think we’ve gotten better on the defensive line.”
The Browns did not officially announce signing defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson. The Browns agreed to terms on a three-year contract with Richardson on March 12.
Richardson and Vernon will pair with Garrett and Larry Ogunjobi for what should be a formidable front four. Vernon has 51 career sacks over 103 games.
“I’m excited to be a part of the Dawg Pound, be able to represent and help build something special in Cleveland,” Vernon said in a statement. “The front office is adding pieces to the puzzle. We’re trying to win. I was not expecting (Beckham to come, too). Odell is a great teammate and person. We both have our own goals of what we would like to accomplish and there is no better place to do that than Cleveland.”
The Browns have also agreed with linebacker Adariius Taylor and tight end Demetrius Harris on a pair of two-year contracts, according to a league source.
Harris, 6-foot-7, 230 pounds, is primarily a blocking tight end. He will fill the role of Darren Fells, who the Browns released earlier this week.
Taylor, 28, is an outside linebacker. He has started 16 of 60 NFL games since breaking into the NFL with Carolina in 2014. He played with Tampa Bay the last four seasons.
Neither the Harris nor the Taylor deals have been officially announced by the Browns.