Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., finds himself adjusting to a new team, a new offense and new surroundings as he gets in work during the Cleveland Browns' three-day mandatory minicamp.
On top of all that, the three-time Pro Bowler has to acclimate to a new quarterback and the velocity of Baker Mayfield's passes after not experiencing the throws during voluntary organized team activities, which Beckham elected to miss.
"I'm going to have to get adjusted to the speed because he's got an arm," Beckham told reporters Wednesday. "He's throwing that ball hard, so just catching it from him from the first day it was like, 'Wow, this is completely different.' It just takes time. Again we play in September, so it's a good thing."
The two have plenty of time to get accustomed to each other before games count in the win-loss column, and Mayfield will also need to use the time between now and September to figure out the nuances of Beckham's game.
But once the two build the all-important chemistry, the rest of the league should be treated to offensive fireworks out of Cleveland, especially when considering Mayfield already has a rapport with Jarvis Landry.
Meanwhile, Beckham took a moment Wednesday to double-down on a previous high complimentary comparison on what he's seen in Mayfield.
"I loved Brett Favre growing up and Baker has a lot of similarities to him," Beckham said. "They put the highlights together. It looks the same. But obviously he's going to have to go out and put the work in for however many years he plays. Hopefully I can help him put up numbers, whatever he needs to do, win championships. But in my eyes he has the talent to do whatever he wants to do. Whatever he wants to do with it, that's what will happen."
Beckham, who caught passes from Eli Manning with the New York Giants, also expressed an appreciation of Mayfield's willingness to speak his mind, a trait Beckham said is "definitely different" from what he was previously accustomed to.
"I know that I'm always going to back him, right, wrong, indifferent," Beckham said of Mayfield. "You know the whole T.O. joke, 'That's my quarterback'? That's my guy. Baker was a friend, a brother to me before I got on this team and now for him to be my quarterback, I'm always going to back him.
"So for him to speak his mind, it's always good for the leader of your team to kind of have that and everybody follow that lead. If he steals off, that's what this team is here to guide him on the right path. But I don't see him really doing anything too wrong. He speaks his mind. Freedom of speech. You have your right to your own opinion. So that's what he does and I personally love it."
So far, so good in Cleveland with the growing love-fest between Beckham and Mayfield.
While Beckham's presence was missed during OTAs, the duo has clearly been busy making up for lost time and have the entire summer to strengthen the relationship.
