The Cleveland Browns Dynamic Duo

It’s all the rage in Cleveland these days as they finally seem to have a roster built that could do some damage.

Teams construct wide receiver tandems that show great skill and proficiency, but reuniting Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry could be something very special.

The College Days

Going back to their college days in playing for the LSU Tigers, Beckham Jr. and Landry seemed to form a tight-knit friendship right from the jump. The two players were heavily recruited from high school and showed extreme promise to do special things.  

 While Beckham earned a greater role in his freshman season, Landry watched patiently waiting for his opportunity to show his ability. As the Tigers adjusted their system to incorporate both weapons on the field at the same time, the duo managed to prove that playing together, greater achievements could be realized.

 Building a formidable college program does take time and with Zach Mettenberger showing improvement and progression with each passing season, the 2013 edition of the Tigers was ready to make noise. Behind the above-average play of their quarterback, Beckham and Landry took off, generating impressive statistics to begin turning heads of NFL scouting departments. In that 2013 season, Beckham amassed 59 receptions for 1152 yards and eight touchdowns, while Landry added an impressive 77 receptions for 1193 yards and 10 touchdowns. More impressive than the individual statistics, the two accounted for 78% of team scores, and 72% of the team yardage through the air.

 As the Tigers managed to stamp their ticket to the 2014 Outback Bowl on the strength of a 9-3 record, Beckham and Landry didn’t muster much in that contest but saw their club come out victorious. Understanding the future potential, both players elected to forgo their senior years of college and entered a historic wide receiver class in the 2014 NFL draft.  

 The Cleveland Browns

The historic franchise of the Cleveland Browns has seen years of frustration followed by meek outlooks while tasting their last playoff meal going as far back as 2002. The Browns never seemed to have the right pieces in place while continuing to disappoint their starving fan base, this team hit absolute rock bottom under coach Hue Jackson, where a 3-36-1 record over two and a half seasons was the result.

 Even before Jackson was relieved of his duties to oversee the Browns from the sidelines, great luck and fortune came under his watch when Cleveland selected Baker Mayfield first overall in the 2018 NFL draft. With light appearing through the tunnel, the Browns also orchestrated a trade with the Dolphins to bring aboard Jarvis Landry from Miami. Having sound pieces to start yet another rebuild, the 2018 season was filled with learning and perspective.

 Fast-forwarding to the 2019 offseason, the Browns didn’t rest on trying to improve this squad now that Mayfield showed solid progression. Believing this team could do something special, general manager John Dorsey picked up the phone once again and engineered a deal with the New York Giants to bring on superstar Beckham Jr to the club - reuniting him with best-bud Landry. 

 Much like the days in LSU, Beckham and Landry have destroyed the stat books while rewriting history all while playing apart for their first five seasons. Now back together again, the projections and optimism reign supreme for possible high octane success. With Mayfield showing the ability to become a trusted piece in his own right, Cleveland has much to cheer about even before the ball is snapped.

 Jarvis Landry

Over the course of his five-year career and playing last season with the Browns, Landry proved he still had plenty left in the tank but needed a support piece to help draw coverage from his side. While the numbers Landry achieved in 2018 weren’t horrible, expectations were higher for greater productivity. Landry managed to secure a healthy 81 receptions on a whopping 149 targets, going for 976 yards and four touchdowns. Seeing the chemistry grow between him and Mayfield as the season wore on was clearly on display.

 For the prospects of evaluating the upcoming campaign, this Browns offense is littered with talent which will be music to Landry’s ears. Having faced the bulk of double teams a season prior, Landry should roam free with Beckham on the other side. While we heard arguments being made that Landry will see a massive downgrade in terms of the target share limiting his overall output, we feel this should work to his advantage.

 The role taken throughout his career has been the slot position, as that’s where Landry feels most comfortable. With Mayfield throwing 486 passes in his rookie season, there is no question that this number should increase giving Landry a healthy opportunity to be a team leader in that category. While we still have some level of pause to believe Mayfield can support all the weapons this offense currently employs, the likelihood is off the charts for Landry to get back over 1000 yards receiving.

 Much like their final season in LSU, Landry could see more receptions and touchdowns then Beckham in their first season back on the same team.

 Odell Beckham Jr

There is no question when a club brings a superb talent to the fold like n Beckham; the affinity for that offense instantly sees an uptick. Over the course of his five year NFL career, Beckham has done a masterful job in making claim that he is, in fact, one of, if not the best receiver in the game today.

 Some may wonder why a team would entertain trading a generational talent like Beckham, but the answer was clear in money and recent injury history. Beckham has had his share of injury concerns even coming out of the 2014 draft. Starting his rookie season limited with a hamstring issue, the time spent in the medical room has been frequent these past two seasons. However, taking a shot on a player of this magnitude is a no brainer.

 In terms of providing evaluating factors for what could transpire in 2019 with the Browns, there is no question that Beckham will slot in day one as the primary receiver in this offense. While it’s extremely difficult to determine how this scheme will appropriately spread the ball around, the fact is there is only one football on the field. With that said, while we do have some level of doubt that everything will magically unite to see all players happy with usage, there is a possibility that Beckham becomes irate with lesser target share coming his way.

 Nevertheless, placing the talents of these two players back together should bring about something we haven’t seen in Cleveland in 17 years - a playoff berth. We would be absolutely shocked to not see Beckham rise above 1000 yards and 10 touchdowns on the year with the potential to see a top-five finish in fantasy football. Securing the services of either player for the upcoming season would be wise and we fully recommend the notion. The Cleveland Browns are on the rise and with the former LSU dynamic duo back together once again, could we see that start of the next great offense in the NFL, it definitely appears that way.