Browns coach Freddie Kitchens hasn’t talked to Odell Beckham Jr. yet. He can’t wait to meet him.
Asked what he will say to Beckham the first time he sees the receiver, Kitchens said, “I love you. Give him a hug. You know? Like show me how to catch the ball with one hand. I don’t know.”
Beckham, 26, averaged 78 catches, 1,095 yards and almost nine touchdowns a season in his five seasons with the Giants. The Browns pulled off the blockbuster trade to get the three-time Pro Bowler two weeks ago.
Beckham was in Paris when the teams agreed to the trade. He has talked to General Manager John Dorsey, who said Beckham will participate in the voluntary offseason program that begins Monday.
That’s when Beckham is expected to meet Kitchens and his new teammates.
“I’m going to introduce myself and get rolling on getting to know him as a person,” Kitchens said. “Ultimately, that’s what we’re going to do with the Cleveland Browns is get to know the people and then earn trust. They’re going to always trust us. But I’ve got to trust him, too. It’s a two-way street, and he’s got to trust his teammates, and his teammates have to trust him. I can’t say that enough. It truly is trust and respect with us. Loyalty is a term that people like to use just to say something. You’re not going to have loyalty until I can help you do something, and as soon as I can’t help you, you’re not going to be loyal to me. Here’s what trust and respect will do: It will begin to build loyalty, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
