Odell Beckham Jr. wants his new team to be like the NFL’s preeminent franchise, but Rodney Harrison believes they’re off to a bad start.
Beckham recently shot for the moon with his expectations for the Cleveland Browns, who the star wide receiver hopes will become “the new Patriots.” Harrison, who spent six seasons in New England, thinks the Browns could’ve done without Beckham’s remark, which was a clear violation of the “Patriot Way.”
“I think the first thing they have to do is if they want to be like the Patriots, they have to shut up,” Harrison recently said on CBS Sports’ “The Zach Gelb Show,” as transcribed by 247Sports. “You don’t need Odell Beckham talking, talking about he’s trying to be like the Patriots. Just shut up and play, OK?”
If history is any indication, Cleveland probably shouldn’t count on Beckham keeping his mouth shut. And if he’s going to stay true to himself, he shouldn’t.
Beckham’s comments seem to have been misinterpreted. It doesn’t appear as though the three-time Pro Bowl selection wants the Browns to emulate the Patriots’ method of operation; he just hopes the franchise reaches a similar level of success. There’s no shame in having high hopes, but Beckham and the Browns have a long way to go before they can be considered perennial Super Bowl contenders.
This mission starts in the 2019 season, in which Cleveland hopes to reach the playoffs for the first time since the 2002 campaign.
