Cleveland Browns: 5 biggest injury risks in 2021
By Sam Penix
![Cleveland Browns defensive end Jadeveon Clowney runs drills during an NFL football practice at the team's training facility, Tuesday, June 15, 2021, in Berea, Ohio. [Jeff Lange / Akron Beacon Journal]Browns 10](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Fhttps-3A-2F-2Fdawgpounddaily-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fimagn-images-2F2018-2F08-2F16263261-850x560-61582a815239cbbf3b3f0bf58db3deed22fe809bb9d9ef0181dbd354491faf6b.jpg "Cleveland Browns defensive end Jadeveon Clowney runs drills during an NFL football practice at the team's training facility, Tuesday, June 15, 2021, in Berea, Ohio. [Jeff Lange / Akron Beacon Journal]Browns 10")
3. Odell Beckham Jr.
The Odell Beckham Jr. experiment has not quite gone as planned. In 23 games with the Browns, Beckham has caught 97 of 176 targets for 1,354 yards and seven touchdowns. That statline was an average 16-game season with the New York Giants.
Playing 2019 under that disaster of a coaching staff did not help in the slightest, and Beckham went down before the offense hit its stride in Kevin Stefanski’s system last year. The fact that Baker Mayfield began to improve after Beckham was hurt was simply a coincidence, and any other view is just not backed up by film. Beckham was exceptional at creating separation in 2020, but was rarely targeted, and when he was, only about half his targets were charted as accurate.
If he is healthy (and he’s knocking his torn ACL rehab out of the park), Beckham has a great chance to finally get back to being the player he once was, but he hasn’t been himself statistically since 2016. The 2017 preseason (ironically, against the Browns) was when his injury issues began, and they haven’t let up since.
His ankle, quad, groin, back, toe, and ACL have all been hurt, and it’s a shame, because he is still one of the most talented and dynamic players in the NFL.