Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The free agent receiver could help many teams aiming to make a playoff push
The bidding war for free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has begun.
The ninth-year wide receiver is on the market after helping the Los Angeles Rams to a Super Bowl last year. Before tearing his ACL in the Super Bowl, Beckham was critical in the Rams offense due to his ability to create separation and win in one on one situations.
According to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, Beckham should be cleared by next week to return to football activities post-injury, so many teams could be lining up for his services.
Big news for @obj rehabbing gong so well he’s expected to be fully cleared in the next week. Should be many suitors for his services. @NFLonFOX
— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) November 6, 2022
Six teams stand out above the rest in the quest for OBJ, teams who desperately need his ability and skill.
It’s very obvious that the Dallas Cowboys want Odell Beckham Jr.
Just ask Jerry Jones.
Or Micah Parsons.
Dallas is the glamour move for sure, but Beckham would hypothetically help the Cowboys in their downfield passing game. The Cowboys are 26th in the NFL in completions of over 15 air yards downfield, and while they’ve made it work with Dak at QB, it limits the ceiling of the offense. Beckham can create explosive plays and win one on one matchups on the outside, allowing CeeDee Lamb to truly dominate from the slot.
It’s never too late to go home again, is it?
The Giants are one of the league’s most surprising teams, heading into their bye at 6-2 and tied for second in the NFC East, far exceeding their expectations heading into the season. If the Giants seriously want to contend for the playoffs in a rather weak conference, signing Beckham could give them the juice their passing game needs.
Saquon Barkley leads the Giants in receptions, and as good as Saquon is, that’s unsustainable for both him and the offense. Getting a reliable receiver in the room like Beckham increases the margins for error in the offense and can open up room for guys like Wan’Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton. The Giants really just need a healthy body in the room.
Despite being 4-5 and the sky falling in Tompa Bay, the Bucs are at the top of a division consisting of the New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons. The Bucs still control their destiny in the division, but that was never the main goal for this team. This team was built to contend for a Super Bowl, and right now their offense isn’t up to that caliber. Much has been said about their offensive line and their inability to run the ball, but their wide receiver depth has taken a significant hit.
Russell Gage has missed time with hip and hamstring injuries, Julio Jones has also been in and out of the lineup, and once you get past them, you’re at Jaelon Darden and Scotty Miller. Beckham, while coming off of an ACL injury, could be a more consistent option than Miller, while potentially having higher upside than Julio Jones at this point in Jones’ career. The Bucs have some serious catching up to do in the conference, and Beckham might help them get there.
It seems like Von Miller wants OBJ on the Bills.
While on the surface it seems like signing OBJ is more of a “how much help does Josh Allen need?” thing, the Bills desperately need a WR2. Gabe Davis has games where he goes for over 200 yards, then will completely disappear the next week. Isaiah McKenzie and Khalil Shakir are more WR3/slot guys, and won’t affect teams on the outside. That’s where Beckham comes in. He capitalizes off of free space given to him because of the Diggs attention, and can win one on one situations. This seems like an easy choice, but the injury to Josh Allen makes this cloudy.
Look man, the Ravens just signed DeSean Jackson to give them life in their receiver room. That’s a pretty dire situation. The Ravens are in a tier below the other top teams in the AFC, and a large part of that is due to the lack of talent and depth in that receiving group. Rashod Bateman is out for the rest of the season, and Beckham can come in and get open for Lamar Jackson.
If Baltimore wants to maximize the team they have this year, getting Beckham in the room could not only help Jackson, but the rest of the offense as well.
Not only are the Chargers seriously injured at wide receiver, they’ve also been poor there this season. Keenan Allen is still on the injury report, and so is Mike Williams. On Sunday, Justin Herbert was throwing to Michael Bandy on the outside. So yeah, things are kinda rough out there for Los Angeles.
Adding Beckham will not only help the Chargers while Mike Williams and Keenan Allen are on the mend, but he also gives the Chargers offense some juice that it desperately needs. The Chargers have the third lowest throw depth of the season, despite having a QB with a howitzer for a right arm in Herbert. Part of it is scheme (glares at Joe Lombardi), but they also don’t really have the dudes who can stretch the field. Assuming Beckham gets back to 100%, he can be that guy for the Chargers, and allow Williams and Allen to be chess pieces.
