Bengals CB Jones: Beckham has 'a lot of work to do' to be A.J. Green
The New York Giants and Cincinnati Bengals practiced together this past week and the Bengals' secondary got a close look at 2014 Rookie of the Year Odell Beckham Jr. Some believe that Beckham will emerge as one of the NFL's best wide receivers in 2015, but Bengals cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones is not one of them.
A reporter asked Jones if Beckham compares to elite Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green.
"He has a lot of work to do to be A.J.," Jones responded to reporters, per True Jersey.
"[Beckham] likes to compete. He's a good athlete. He's a good player," Jones added "That is two different receivers."
In 2014, Beckham was actually more efficient than Green on a per-snap basis. Beckham played in 12 games and racked up 91 receptions, 1,305 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Green played one more game than Beckham and finished with just 69 receptions, 1,041 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
Of course, Green has done his thing for four seasons while Beckham only has one NFL season under his belt. Beckham acknowledge this fact and didn't disagree with Jones' assessment.
"Of course," Beckham said. "A.J. has been doing this for four years. He's been consistent for four years. Just find a way to be consistent and hopefully you reach a point where A.J.'s at."
Still, "a lot of work" might be a bit of an exaggeration from Jones. Check out videos taken live at practice here and here to see what Beckham was able to do against the Bengals' secondary in joint practices if you need a refresher on what Beckham is capable of. The two teams match up in the preseason opener on Friday night and both Beckham and Jones are expected to play.
(h/t True Jersey)
