CLEVELAND — Editor's note: the video in the player above is from a previous story.
As the 2021 NFL Trade Deadline approaches, one of the biggest questions in the league is whether the Cleveland Browns will trade Odell Beckham Jr.
Hours ahead of the 4 p.m. ET trade deadline, one of the Browns' most famous fans made his feelings on the subject known, as LeBron James took to Twitter to apparently advocate for his hometown team to part ways with its three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver.
"OBJ will show again why he’s special. WR1 #FreeOBJ," James tweeted.
James' tweet came two days after Beckham tallied just one reception for six yards on one target in the Browns' 15-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at FirstEnergy Stadium. Appearing in six games this season, the 28-year-old wideout has caught just 17 passes for 232 yards and zero touchdowns, which has had led many to speculate about his chemistry -- or lack thereof -- with quarterback Baker Mayfield.
On Tuesday, Beckham's father, Odell Beckham Sr., only furthered that narrative, posting an 11 minute and 24 second-long clip to his Instagram page that showed a series of plays in which Mayfield failed to connect with his son.
Asked on Monday if Beckham simply didn't fit the Cleveland offense at this point, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski downplayed the situation, stating that it is ultimately up to him to find a way to get his star wide receiver more involved.
“I would tell you first and foremost, I need to do a better job. I really do," Stefanski said. "I need to make sure that I put him in position to make some plays, and I did not do a good enough job certainly yesterday.
"Having said that, he gets a lot of attention from the defense. There were a bunch of plays where the safety is cheating to him, and that opens up opportunities for other guys. I think of an early third down that we had where the post safety stayed to the boundary side because he was cheating towards Odell, and we hit a big play to Jarvis [Landry]. His effect on our offense is there, but I do need to do a better job of making sure that the ball makes its way into his hands.”