Beckham attributes OTA absences to health: 'I know my body'

Odell Beckham Jr. has an explanation for why he missed multiple voluntary workouts with the Cleveland Browns.

"Everybody knows their body. I know my body better than anybody else. I know what it takes to get me in top physical condition, mental, and all of those things," Beckham told reporters Wednesday. "This is not my first rodeo. It is not my first go-round. I just know what it takes to get there."

Beckham practiced Wednesday for the third time since he was traded from the New York Giants. The 26-year-old participated in one session during voluntary workouts in April and May before reporting for the start of mandatory minicamp at the beginning of June.

Only injuries have managed to slow down Beckham during his first five years in the NFL. The three-time Pro Bowler has eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in four of those campaigns, falling short only in 2017 when an ankle injury limited him to four games. He caught 77 passes for 1,052 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games for the Giants last year.

Beckham also discussed his ability to adapt to first-year head coach Freddie Kitchens' offense.

"I have always been a pretty smart guy as far as when it comes to the playbook," he said. "It will not be anything to pick up. It will not be too hard to pick up."

Kitchens, who previously said Beckham missed "a lot" by skipping voluntary workouts, seemed more comfortable with the transition when asked Wednesday.

"It is not like this is the first time he has opened up our book," Kitchens said. "He has been studying and all that kind of stuff. Odell is making progress just like everybody else. Odell had some bad plays, and he had some good plays. He is going to continue to grow and learn, and that is what everybody else is going to do."

Cleveland will wrap up minicamp on Thursday.

Copyright (C) 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.