Freddie Kitchens Giving Terse Answer on OBJ Skipping OTA's is Helping No One

Odell Beckham Jr. got his Browns career off to an interesting start, by choosing not to attend most of the team's voluntary offseason workouts. While head coach Freddie Kitchens has been non-confrontational with his rhetoric surrounding the star wide receiver, he gave a potentially divisive answer when asked above OBJ's absence this spring.

Kitchens claims that Beckham Jr. missed OTAs but understands the reason for his absence. So long as OBJ is working out, Kitchens just wants the star receiver to be "mentally ready" when he joins the team. He did mention, however, that Beckham's absence means that he "missed the offense."

Kitchens continued to tell Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot that "I just want to see him [Beckham]'' when mandatory minicamp begins next week.

While it would be a positive for Beckham to show up to OTAs and familiarize himself with his new teammates, he has no obligation to be present.

His absence, along with Jarvis Landry's undisclosed injury, has forced Baker Mayfield to throw to receivers that may or may not get many reps this regular season. The early chemistry OBJ and Mayfield were hoping to develop will have to be put on hold until the former Giant decides to turn up to camp.

The situation is not ideal for the Browns, who are looking to build on their 7-8-1 season in 2018 after having won just a single game the previous two years combined. However, Kitchens' comments are equally unnecessary, as taken the wrong way, they could potentially split up the locker room.

Beckham did not attend OTAs, and as inconvenient as that may be to the coaching staff, there's a reason the training camp is voluntary. Beckham will surely show up when his presence is mandatory, and he'll more than likely be in tip-top shape.