Browns' Odell Beckham Jr. concerned about winning a championship, not targets

The idea that the Cleveland Browns, specifically their offense, may be better off without star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is hardly a new topic but is once again generating discussions on local sports talk radio stations and making headlines. Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com became the latest person to suggest the club should look to deal Beckham to a buyer before the Nov. 2 NFL trade deadline as the 28-year-old attempts to reclaim his Pro Bowl form coming off the torn ACL he suffered last fall as part of an offense that has seemingly moved on without him. 

In his three games this season, Beckham has a paltry nine catches for 124 yards and no touchdowns, and quarterback Baker Mayfield targeted him only three times in this past Sunday's disappointing 47-42 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers that dropped Cleveland to 3-2 ahead of a matchup against the 5-0 Arizona Cardinals. 

According to Andrew Gribble of the Browns' website, Beckham told reporters Thursday his eyes are still on the biggest prize, one that's eluded him since he entered the league via the 2014 draft. 

"The ultimate goal is to win a championship, and I feel like I'm in a great situation to do that," Beckham explained. "There will be days where it will be my day and we'll be sitting up here and the conversation will be different. My main focus was to be healthy, to be able to stay healthy and get through a season." 

Beckham added he doesn't mind attracting attention from defensive backs and, thus, creating openings for fellow receivers such as Rashard Higgins. 

"As I get down in the red zone and I'm running a corner route, three people are coming with me and Higg's wide open, I know that happens," Beckham said. "I know I bring a lot of attention to defenses on the other end and other people are going to be open, and you've got to live with that." 

Those words are nice and all, but they also remind everybody that Beckham can be an expensive decoy at $15.75 million for the season. Besides, there must be something to these continued trade rumors regarding one of the most well-known names at his position; right?