Obviously Odell Beckham is going to transform the Cleveland Browns offense in 2019. You don’t acquire one of the league’s most dominant receivers and not see an improved performance from your passing game.
But let’s take a closer look at a few specific areas where Beckham’s skill set will benefit Baker Mayfield as he enters his second year quarterbacking the Browns.
The Deep Ball
Perhaps the most obvious area where Beckham will transform the Browns offense is in the downfield passing game, where he will likely replace Jarvis Landry as the Mayfield’s go-to weapon. In 2018, Landry led the Browns with 44 targets on throws 15 or more yards downfield but hauled in just 72 percent of his catchable targets at that distance, according to Sports Info Solutions.
In New York, Beckham didn’t see as many catchable targets thanks to the washed-up Eli Manning, but corralled 94.4 percent of those within his reach and did not have a single drop.
Let’s assume Beckham sees the same number of catchable downfield targets in 2019 as Landry did in 2018 (25). Based on his catch rate, Beckham would account for 5 to 6 more receptions (5.6 to be exact) at 15+ yards downfield over the course of the year. That’s a significant increase in potential game-altering plays. It’s also probably a conservative estimate, since the Browns are more likely to attempt to feed Beckham the ball at a higher rate than Landry.
In other words, expect a noticeable uptick in big plays down the field from the Browns offense.
Here’s how Beckham compares to the Browns other deep threats from 2018:
Elite Hands
It won’t just be the deep ball where Beckham has a positive influence on Mayfield’s numbers. Mayfield’s elite accuracy contributed to his rookie-year success, but the Browns receivers still managed to leave a lot on the table.
On catchable throws, Mayfield’s completion percentage ranked in the bottom half of the league at all levels of the field in 2018. Beckham’s elite hands should help fix this issue.
In 2018, Beckham caught 89.5 percent of his overall catchable targets.
Red Zone Weapon
Odell Beckham will also play a significant role for the Browns in the red zone, where Landry was the Browns go-to weapon a season ago. Landry accounted for 19 red zone targets, 11 more than anyone else on the team.
Landry is actually a solid red zone weapon–he caught 10 of 12 catchable balls in the red zone, with zero drops, according to Sports Info Solutions. As a result, Beckham and Landry will likely both benefit from having the other on the field.
Here’s a look at how Beckham fared in the red zone in New York in recent years.
Final Thoughts
It’s impossible not to love this acquisition for the Browns. They’re in Super Bowl or bust mode for the next few seasons as Mayfield plays out his rookie contract. And during this window, it makes sense to use those resources saved by not having a high-paid quarterback on assets that will directly benefit the quarterback.
Beckham’s skill set meshes beautifully with Mayfield’s, and it’s well within reason to expect Beckham to put up career numbers this fall.
