CLEVELAND — Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. missed much of the full-team 11-on-11 work during training camp and did not play a single snap in the preseason as he worked his way through a hip issue.
Although Beckham Jr. has been on the field for full-team drills for the past two weeks, Browns offensive coordinator Todd Monken believes the multi-time Pro Bowl wide receiver has more to show when the bright lights of game day come on, starting today against the Tennessee Titans at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland.
“It is about getting to gameday,” Monken said. “It is fun seeing him running around. I am not sure we have even seen him full speed yet, but he has been building himself to get him to that point. We are excited to get going.”
Because Beckham Jr. missed a lot of team work and the four preseason games, along with much of the voluntary portion of the offseason program, he did not have as much time as others to build chemistry with quarterback Baker Mayfield.
However, seeing how Mayfield responded to the challenge of throwing to teammates he had not worked with when thrust into the starting lineup in Week 3 against the New York Jets last season, Monken is confident chemistry will not be an issue for the Browns’ offense.
“First of all, he is a really gifted athlete,” Monken said. “Let’s start with that. His balance, body control, ball-tracking ability and his hands, just start with that part of it, that is unique and rare.”
Over 59 regular-season games, including 56 starts, in five years with the New York Giants, Beckham Jr. turned 390 receptions for 5,476 yards and 44 touchdowns. Beckham Jr. has averaged 92.8 receiving yards per game during his Pro Bowl career, including a league-best 108.8 during the 2014 season.
Last season, Beckham Jr. recorded a 77-catch, 1,052-yard, six-touchdown effort for the Giants.
“You combine that (talent) with he is a really smart football player,” Monken said. “I do not think people understand that part of it and how important it is to him to know what to do, how to do it and where we want him. I think that is probably a big part of it. He has a unique skill set.”
Like Monken, Browns coach Freddie Kitchens has been impressed with the commitment Beckham Jr. has shown in preparation for games.
And Kitchens is confident that off-the-field work will show itself on game day.
“Odell takes meticulous notes,” Kitchens said. “I think he spends a lot more time on football than some people give him credit for. I would agree with that sentiment totally that he is very intelligent. When you talk to him, you realize it. I think he does not get enough credit in that area.
“Odell is ready to go.”