Odell Beckham Jr.'s last 1,000-yard season came in 2019 when playing in Todd Monken's offensive system in Cleveland.
Just because Beckham put up strong numbers doesn't mean that he or Monken viewed it as a positive season. The Browns, under first-year Head Coach Freddie Kitchens, who called the offensive plays all year, went 6-10.
Monken left for Georgia the following year while Beckham and the Browns continued to struggle together until it came to a head and he was released midway through the 2021 season.
Now in Baltimore, Beckham is happy to reunite with Monken.
"We had a great relationship in Cleveland. To be honest, there just wasn't ... You know when certain situations just aren't for people; it's not anyone's fault or anything that happens, it's just life goes that way, and things don't work out the way that you would want to," Beckham said.
"We had great rapport there, great communication. I remember him and I trying to really figure out what's going on and bring everyone together. So, I have nothing but love for him."
The feeling is mutual. During Monken's introductory press conference in February, Monken spoke highly of Beckham’s talents as a player and virtues as a competitor. The Ravens had been in talks with Beckham for months at that point, with more to come, and Monken was clearly on board.
From afar, Beckham had taken note of Monken's success at Georgia, where he won back-to-back national titles and built one of the country's most powerful offensive machines.
"[I'm] just excited about the opportunity that's in front of me and just kind of watching that offense and seeing what was done, I just know that it should be a lot of fun," Beckham said.
Head Coach John Harbaugh said he was a little surprised Monken wasn't in the crowd at Beckham's jam-packed introductory press conference, but he knows the Ravens' new wide receiver and his offensive coordinator have been in touch and that Monken is "fired up."
"He's probably drawing up plays for Odell and Lamar [Jackson]," Harbaugh said with a smile. "He's in the laboratory; I've seen some of the drawings, so we've got some good stuff. We'll be ready to go.
"When you have a player like this, it makes it more fun; it gives you more options."
Beckham said he didn't hesitate to sign with Baltimore given its reputation as a run-heavy team. With a new offensive coordinator at the helm, that identity and reputation may be changing somewhat. Though Beckham will want the ball, as does any great player, he also is down with running the ball.
"I was in Cleveland, so I was in a running style; I was in the same division," he said. "I went to LSU, where we ran the ball all the time, [and] I still went for 1,000 yards. To be able to have a great pass game, you've got to be able to run the football, so it's always balanced."
