BEREA, Ohio -- Wearing a brown hoodie and an orange-banded watch, Odell Beckham Jr. smiled often Wednesday while talking about his new team, saying he was "almost giddy" to be in Cleveland.
He also praised Baker Mayfield's confidence and the quarterback's arm. And he said he was ready to get back to a place that the Browns haven't been since the 2002 season -- the playoffs.
"I feel like a little kid, the excitement that I have," Beckham said after the team's second minicamp practice. "Seeing Baker, seeing this offense, I feel like this team is going to really come together. I'm beyond excited about the opportunity I have to start over.
"The goal is always going to be the same: to hang banners. We know we have a lot of expectations and a lot of work to do. And I think we'll get there."
The New York Giants traded Beckham to Cleveland as part of a blockbuster deal in March that turned the Browns into one of the NFL's most compelling teams going into the 2019 season.
The Browns had to wait a bit to see their prized offseason acquisition up close, as Beckham skipped all but one of Cleveland's voluntary organized team activities in May to train on his own, which was OK with Mayfield and coach Freddie Kitchens.
Beckham's first two days of minicamp, however, underscored why Cleveland could boast one of the most prolific passing attacks in the league this season, as he and Mayfield connected on a variety of routes.
"I've watched Baker since Oklahoma," said Beckham, who said he will work out with the second-year quarterback in California later this summer. "I think it's the confidence he carries in himself. You can't coach that on anybody. That's something that comes from within you, and he really has that and it's on display, always. You have to love that about him.
"I'm also going to have to get adjusted to the speed, because he's got an arm. He's throwing that ball hard. Just catching him from the first day, it was like, 'Wow, this is completely different.'"
The same goes for the expectations for a franchise that went 0-16 just two seasons ago. After finishing 7-8-1 last season, Cleveland is suddenly a trendy pick to win the AFC North.
And to make that happen, if that means seeing fewer targets in an offense that also includes longtime friend and former LSU teammate Jarvis Landry, then Beckham said he's fine with it.
"This game is about winning," Beckham said. "I'd much rather be in the playoffs than go for 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns, because I'm supposed to do that anyway. I'm ready to get back to the playoffs and show what I can do."