Odell Beckham Jr. Situation Positive Reflection on Browns Regime

The Cleveland Browns handled the Odell Beckham Jr. situation well and quickly, a direct reflection on the new regime.

When wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.'s father posted a video detailing the missed opportunities between his son and quarterback Baker Mayfield, all Cleveland fans held their collective breath.

We have seen this movie before. Management makes a bad situation worse, which causes things to spiral, and the locker room divides. The turmoil ends after a poor season, and then the cycle repeats.

This time things were different. The Browns have spent several years building a solid organizational structure to combat these types of situations. General manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski have been lauded for the team's on-field performance, and rightfully so.

However, something that slips under the radar is how well the team operates behind the scene. Everyone is aligned and understands the ultimate goal, which is why today went smoothly for the Browns.

Reports surfaced that Stefanski spoke to the team in the morning and informed them that Beckham would not be a part of the team, effective immediately. The underlying point was implicitly clear: no one player is more significant than the team.

In his press conference, Stefanski offered that Berry was communicating with Beckham's representation about the next steps but declined to comment on any specifics. He was asked various questions that would have allowed him to air frustrations but instead kept things close to the vest and reiterated that he wanted matters to remain "internal."

It appears that the team has no plans to cut bait with Beckham during the 2021 season. The trade deadline has passed, and they would be forced to eat the rest of his remaining salary if he did not pass waivers when released.

Beckham did not garner enough interest to trade him at the deadline, so the Browns are finalizing a financial settlement which will save them some money before putting Beckham on waivers. 

If claimed, the Browns would no longer be responsible for any remaining money on this year's salary. Should he go unclaimed, he's free to sign elsewhere and whatever money he would get from his new team would be subtracted from what the Browns owe him.

Mayfield also took the podium for his weekly press conference and displayed a lot of maturity in his answers. He did not take anything as a personal slight yet remained honest in his interview.

He said that he was "surprised" by the video but says he remains focused on the task at hand, which is winning football games. Those in the locker room certainly watched to see how Mayfield would combat the situation, and he did a phenomenal job.

The Browns have moved on from a problematic situation in less than one day, meaning that they can now focus on the Cincinnati Bengals. The team is one game out of a playoff seed and can get right back into the picture with a win on Sunday.

All parties involved deserve credit for defusing the situation. Players in the locker room appear to be locked in, and wide receiver Rashard Higgins even issued public support for Mayfield on Twitter.

READ MORE: November Projects as Crucial Month for Browns