Latest On Odell Beckham Jr. Deal
The Ravens provided the league with a major headline yesterday with the signing of Odell Beckham Jr. The value of his deal – up to $18MM via incentives on the one-year pact – has raised many eyebrows, considering the lack of competition Baltimore appeared to have regarding such a lucrative offer.
Beckham’s base compensation will be $15MM this season, a cumbersome figure for a Ravens team which remains unsure if they will have franchise-tagged quarterback Lamar Jackson this season, and if he will be on the books on the tag or a long-term deal. Given the team’s tight (and relatively uncertain) cap situation, carrying the full cost of the Beckham deal in 2023 would be highly problematic. 
As a result, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic notes that the contract will surely include void years (subscription required). Taking that route – one which the Ravens have begun recently in some of their other deals – would allow the team to spread out Beckham’s cap hit over several years. While it would create significant dead money down the road, it would lessen the impact on Baltimore’s cap sheet for this season, one in which a definitive answer to the question of Jackson’s financial future is all-but guaranteed to be found.
A contract including void years was also long contemplated by the Jets, per CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson (video link). Beckham was scheduled to visit the Jets today, which could have led to a deal being agreed upon shortly thereafter, especially if all parties were convinced an Aaron Rodgers trade will take place at some point this offseason. They do not appear to have been willing to reach the level the Ravens did with any potential offer, though.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that New York was eyeing a Beckham deal featuring a low base salary and high upside through incentives – essentially the inverse of what the three-time Pro-Bowler landed in Baltimore. The Jets had been considered the frontrunners to land Beckham, 30, given Rodgers’ desire to team up with him in the Big Apple, but it was reported in the immediate aftermath of the Ravens accord that they had chosen not to match what Baltimore put on the table.
The same is true of the Giants, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan (Twitter link). Incentives would have been central to any offer for a reunion with Beckham, given the team’s new financial commitments to Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley in particular, and the uncertainty which surrounds Beckham’s ability to produce coming off multiple ACL injuries. In the end, Baltimore’s efforts to pursue the former first-rounder (which dated back to last season to an extent, and continued throughout his 2023 free agent process) stood out against those of other teams.
Anderson tweets that Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti was a central figure in the team’s push to land Beckham. Baltimore has a long-standing reputation for failing to attract high-profile wideouts, and this latest move represents a sizeable financial investment which carries significant risk. Regardless of what effect it has on Jackson, it could prove to be a beneficial one for the team’s offense, or a misstep which ends up confirming the lack of interest showed elsewhere in the NFL to make such a notable commitment.
Odell Beckham Jr. To Sign With Ravens
Odell Beckham Jr. has made his decision on where he will play next, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The star free agent will be catching passes in Baltimore next season as a member of the Ravens, news he hinted at on his own Instagram account. 
The three-time Pro Bowler has agreed to a one-year deal reportedly worth up to $18MM with $15MM guaranteed, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero provided a further breakdown that shows the guaranteed amount to be composed of a $13.84MM signing bonus and a base salary of $1.17MM, making up the exact amount Beckham requested at the league’s recent owners’ meetings in Arizona. The remaining $3MM of potential worth in the contract comes in the form of incentives.
Most reports seemed to have Beckham’s decision narrowed down to the Jets and Ravens with many believing New York to be the favorite to land the veteran’s services. Baltimore had reportedly submitted an offer to Beckham earlier in the week, the first of many teams expected to vie for his services. The Jets, on the other hand, decided to take one more big swing at the free agent with a visit that was set to take place this evening. Despite those plans, the Ravens secured Beckham before he had a chance to revisit the Jets.
New York’s meeting this weekend was intended to be an incredibly deep dive on the potential of Beckham joining the team. They had planned a multi-faceted approach that would not only include “a physical but also a thorough discussion of what to expect in an Aaron Rodgers-led offense with a deep WR room,” according to Rapoport. The team was set to return last year’s top receivers, Garrett Wilson and Corey Davis, while adding Rodgers’s favorite target from last year, Allen Lazard, and versatile former Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman. Many of these efforts have been made under the continuing expectation that Rodgers will be quarterbacking the team in 2023 as the result of a trade that has yet to materialize. Beckham reportedly gave the Jets one last chance to match Baltimore’s offer, according to Julia Stumbaugh of Bleacher Report, but New York balked at the high price tag.
The Ravens have their own questions at the quarterback position as they continue to deal with the situation surrounding Lamar Jackson, who reportedly requested a trade from Baltimore early last month. The saga with Jackson has gone on for some time now after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on an extension. The team franchise tagged Jackson, allowing him to negotiate with other teams, but nothing ever resulted from Jackson’s supposed availability. Rapoport recently gave his opinion on the Pat McAfee Show that the situation would end rather anticlimactically with Jackson playing out the 2023 season on the franchise tag in Baltimore as the two sides continue to negotiate. Now, the Ravens have made a move that only emphasizes their desire to retain their star quarterback.
If Jackson returns, he will be throwing to a new-look wide receiving corps led by Beckham, Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay, and Nelson Agholor. Bateman showed promise to begin his sophomore season before a Lisfranc issue ended his year. Duvernay, fresh off All-Pro returning honors in 2021, had his best offensive season to date last year, finishing as the second most productive receiver in Baltimore last season behind Demarcus Robinson. The team’s receiver room also includes James Proche, Tylan Wallace, Andy Isabella, Shemar Bridges, and Mike Thomas.
Beckham’s road back to the Super Bowl starts now. The 30-year-old played out his rookie contract with the Giants then spent two and a half seasons with the Browns before winning a Super Bowl ring with the Rams. Unfortunately for Beckham, he didn’t get to finish Los Angeles’s Super Bowl victory, leaving the game in the second quarter with a newly torn ACL that would keep him recovering for all of the offseason. It appeared likely that a few teams may take a swing at Beckham as a potential addition for a playoff run, but nothing developed from those conversations last season. Instead, Beckham sat out the entire 2022 season as his free agency extended in to 2023.
Now, though, Beckham has found his newest home, signing with a franchise that has seen plenty of success in signing veteran free agent wide receivers such as Derrick Mason, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, and Mike Wallace. He’ll see both the Rams and Browns in 2023 and will have the chance to play his old team in Cleveland twice a year for however long he is a member of the Ravens.
Jets To Meet With Odell Beckham Jr.
Taking his time during his latest go-round in free agency, Odell Beckham Jr. has received multiple offers. And the standout wide receiver has been most closely tied to the Jets, with Aaron Rodgers leading the charge to bring Beckham back to the Big Apple.
The Jets will take a closer look at OBJ soon. The eight-year veteran will head back to New York on Sunday night for a Monday visit, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reports (on Twitter). Beckham spoke with teams — including the Jets — at last week’s league meetings, but this is believed to be his first free agency visit this year.
[RELATED: Joe Douglas Proclaims Confidence In Rodgers Trade]
This visit will involve a physical, SNY’s Connor Hughes tweets. Considering the 30-year-old pass catcher’s career stalled because the February 2022 ACL tear was his second in 16 months, the physical will be a critical part of this meeting. The sides have been discussing this visit for around three weeks, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini adds (on Twitter). Strong mutual interest exists here, Cimini tweets. Discussion on Beckham’s fit in a Rodgers-led offense — one that houses Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson as the wide receiver centerpiece — will also understandably be part of this visit, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
Beckham’s 2022 crested with a three-visit December, but contract demands and the ACL tear sustained in Super Bowl LVI led to the former Giants Pro Bowler sitting out the season. The Jets were nowhere near the Beckham radar during his 2021 in-season free agency trip or his 2022 tour, but with Rodgers on track to be traded to the New York, the team with the league’s longest playoff drought may well be leading the latest OBJ sweepstakes.
Sunday will mark Beckham’s second official visit in New York since December. The Giants met with their former draftee at that point, and although OBJ gave his former team the first visit of that December tour, he met with the Bills and Cowboys as well. Dallas quickly became the clubhouse leader, with Jerry Jones leading the charge and publicly proclaiming Beckham would be a Cowboy. That did not happen, and Dallas has since traded for Brandin Cooks.
The Giants are still lurking here. John Mara indicated the door remains open despite Big Blue re-signing Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard and adding Parris Campbell and Jamison Crowder to its receiver mix. Rams brass also said OBJ returning to L.A. is a possibility, but after the 2022 offseason produced nonstop Beckham-Rams connections, the team’s conservative 2023 offseason has not produced nearly as many rumors on that front. The Ravens have made Beckham an offer, but it might be difficult for the three-time Pro Bowler to commit presently, given the uncertainty surrounding Baltimore’s quarterback situation. The Chiefs have also re-emerged on the Beckham radar, but the Jets continue to reside front and center in this pursuit.
While the Jets do not have their presumptive starting QB on the roster yet, Rodgers has long been expected to be traded to the AFC East squad. The Jets have been chasing Beckham for weeks, with Rodgers encouraging the team to sign the player the Packers pursued in 2021. The Jets have been busy at receiver ahead of this visit, signing Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman and trading Elijah Moore to the Browns. If Beckham is to become a Jet, Corey Davis is likely to be released.
Beckham joining the Jets would give them an interesting receiver quartet, one that would feature three new pieces alongside Wilson. The Jets being perhaps in pole position in this derby continues an unusual offseason for the downtrodden club, but the impending Rodgers trade has understandably coincided with splashy additions elsewhere. Lazard, Hardman and safety Chuck Clark are now in the fold. Numbers will play the lead role in closing this elusive deal. Beckham has been vocal about his annoyance with previous offers. Long connected to a $20MM-per-year ask, OBJ denied that is his price. But he clearly wants considerably more than what teams have proposed.
The Super Bowl injury crushed his 2022 market. That coupled with the October 2020 tear has undoubtedly cooled his 2023 prospects as well. The Jets hold just more than $9MM in cap space, though their QB1 contract is not yet on the roster. A Davis cut would also save Gang Green $10.5MM. Should Beckham’s health check out, however, a notable Jets offer will likely not be far behind.
Ravens Submit Offer To Odell Beckham Jr.
As free agency continues into April, plenty of attention continues to be aimed at Odell Beckham Jr. The list of potential destinations for the three-time Pro Bowl wideout appears to be shrinking, and at least one team has now put a contract on the table. 
The Ravens have submitted an offer to Beckham, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (video link). No terms are available, but Beckham was connected yesterday to an asking price of $15MM on a one-year deal, a figure which would come as a surprise for a number of reasons, from his injury history (including missing the entire 2022 campaign) to the underwhelming nature of this year’s receiver market.
Indeed, veteran reporter Mike Giardi notes (on Twitter) that Beckham’s cost to his next team appears to have dropped. He adds, however, that his asking price remains untenable given the uncertainty surrounding his ability to produce following multiple ACL tears. Nevertheless, it comes as no surprise that the Ravens are among the teams seriously courting the 30-year-old.
Baltimore was reported as one of a handful of teams who met with Beckham when a midseason signing seemed to still be possible. More recently, they were among the attendees at his private workout, and spoke with him at the league meetings in Arizona. The Ravens have been linked to a number of potential noteworthy moves at the WR position, following another season in 2022 in which the team produced underwhelming numbers in the passing game.
Part of that was due to the season-ending injuries suffered by Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay, the team’s top options at the position. Baltimore has added veteran Nelson Agholor on a one-year deal, but that certainly doesn’t preclude further additions being made. The Ravens have been mentioned as a suitor for not only Beckham, but also the likes of DeAndre Hopkins and Courtland Sutton on the trade front. Any moves to augment Baltimore’s pass-catching corps are thought to be made regardless of the future of quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Schefter names the Jets and Rams as other teams firmly in the mix to ultimately sign Beckham. The former squad has been increasingly connected to Beckham given their (presumed) acquisition of Aaron Rodgers and his list of desired targets upon arrival in New York. Beckham’s reaction to the Baltimore offer could mark the next turning point in his decision-making process.
Jets Rumors: Beckham, Rodgers, Lawson, OL, Elliott
Free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. made quite a few headlines during the league’s recent owners’ meetings in Arizona. One such headline came from Rich Cimini of ESPN who reported that the veteran wideout was seeking a one-year deal worth $15MM.
It’s a bit difficult to imagine a team dedicating that kind of capital to a 30-year-old wide receiver who is coming off his second ACL injury in three years. Beckham is still a talented athlete and displayed his abilities during his short time with the Rams. Cimini estimates that a contract worth $10-12MM is much more likely for Beckham. In terms of annual average value, this would place Beckham just under Corey Davis and over players like Michael Gallup, Curtis Samuel, and Tim Patrick.
Despite bits of buzz concerning a few other teams, the Jets seem to remain the favorite to land Beckham’s services for 2023.
Here are a few other rumors pertaining to Gang Green:
- There’s an understanding around league circles that the Packers will eventually trade star quarterback Aaron Rodgers to New York. That understanding has, as of yet, failed to materialize, and according to Cimini, it has Jets owner Woody Johnson “anxious.” Johnson claimed to be anxious but optimistic as the team awaits the resolution to the problem of compensation. As the two sides continue to work towards equal compensation, the Jets aren’t getting impatient, asserting that there’s no deadline on when they’d like a deal to be done.
- As the Jets entertain more potential additions to their roster, they have their salary cap to keep in mind. A question that has arisen in regard to that issue is whether or not New York will release defensive end Carl Lawson. The Jets have only been able to get one strong season out of Lawson since signing him in 2021. A ruptured Achilles tendon kept him from playing during his first season in New York before he was able to debut for the team this year. Now, after only one season of play, Lawson is set to take up the second-largest chunk of the Jets’ cap space. There is a potential out built into Lawson’s contract that would allow the Jets to cut Lawson with only $333,334 in dead money, saving $15.4MM in cap space. Head coach Robert Saleh reportedly turned down that possibility, according to Andy Vasquez of the Star-Ledger, claiming not to speak for general manager Joe Douglas, but asserting that “as long as (Lawson) can walk and play” he’ll be a Jet.
- Saleh also spoke to the offensive line, according to Vasquez. While changes on the offensive line may be imminent with the addition of multiple offensive linemen in free agency, the head coach made sure to confirm the plan for Alijah Vera-Tucker to return to the right guard position in 2023. Also concerning the offensive line, Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork.com provided an update on offensive tackle Mekhi Becton, who reportedly is lighter than his NFL Combine weight after changing training facilities.
- Another comment from Saleh concerned free agent running back Ezekiel Elliott, according to Vasquez. When asked about the possibility of bringing in the former Cowboy, Saleh told the media, “We love our running back room. I’ll leave it at that.” The Jets enter 2023 with a strong 1-2 punch of Breece Hall, whose rookie season was cut short due to injury, and Michael Carter.
Giants Meet With Quentin Johnston, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Zay Flowers; Veteran WRs Still On Radar
Although the Giants used a first-round pick on a wide receiver in 2021, connecting them to a dive back into that pool is not especially difficult. Kadarius Toney is gone, and the team’s lot of free agency moves led complementary-type options coming in or staying put.
Unsurprisingly, this year’s top receiver prospects have heard from the Giants. The team has now met with TCU’s Quentin Johnston, Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Boston College’s Zay Flowers at pre-pro-day dinners, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com notes (Twitter links). Johnston’s meeting occurred Thursday. The other top-four wideout in this year’s class, USC’s Jordan Addison, said the Giants were the most recent team to contact him.
Mentioning Smith-Njigba as a wideout GM Joe Schoen is doing extensive homework on, NJ.com’s Darryl Slater notes the team filled its quota of signings in this year’s unremarkable free agency class. The next step would be to take a swing at a player with a better chance of becoming a lead pass catcher.
“I think we’re better than we were,” Schoen said of the team’s receiver situation. “I think Daniel [Jones] has a better group. It goes back to: It’s not fantasy football. So to say, ‘Go get a No. 1 receiver,’ you’re only afforded what’s on the market and what’s available. So all these things sound great. But with the receiver group that was out there…”
Schoen’s voice trailing off effectively illustrated the leaguewide view of this year’s free agent receiver class. No top-25 contract at the position ended up going to a wideout, which marks a change from recent years, when the likes of Christian Kirk, Allen Robinson, Kenny Golladay and Corey Davis scored such deals as UFAs. John Mara said the team might not be done in free agency, and the owner said earlier this week the team is not out on Odell Beckham Jr.
The former Giants Pro Bowler has received multiple offers, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com adds, though they have clearly not met with the mercurial talent’s approval. Attempting to pair him with Aaron Rodgers, the Jets remain the most likely Beckham destination, per Graziano, who adds OBJ may be waiting on the Rodgers deal to be finalized before he commits.
Schoen said a trade for a receiver remains in play. The Giants made a push for Jerry Jeudy before the 2022 deadline, but the Broncos want a first-round pick for their top wideout. That seems like a non-starter for the Giants, who prioritized draft capital — a third-rounder, which turned into Darren Waller — over waiting on Toney’s potential. Denver also wants a second-rounder for Courtland Sutton. Barring a big offer, the Broncos are standing pat at wide receiver.
The Giants could be a DeAndre Hopkins suitor as well; they will have competition for the Cardinals standout. The Waller move makes it a bit more difficult to envision the Giants dealing away another prime draft asset for a veteran pass catcher.
The Giants doing work on Smith-Njigba adds up, after the promising playmaker finished an abbreviated junior year. JSN broke through for 95 receptions, 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore, leading the Buckeyes in receiving by a substantial margin despite that squad housing 2022 first-round picks Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. That included a monstrous 347-yard showing in that season’s Rose Bowl. Smith-Njigba, however, only played three games last season, catching just five passes. ESPN’s Todd McShay said in December Smith-Njigba had healed from his nagging hamstring injury by the Buckeyes’ semifinal game against Georgia but was protecting his draft status. That claim drew backlash from the junior wideout’s family, but his third-season no-show has undoubtedly prompted teams to examine the lengthy absence.
This year’s receiver class has not generated the buzz of recent crops, but ESPN’s Scouts Inc. rates Johnston, Addison, Smith-Njigba and Flowers as first-round talents. Johnston is coming off an MCL injury in TCU’s semifinal win over Michigan. None are viewed as top-10-level talents, though the top three here are each listed in the scouting service’s top 20 at the position. New York holds the No. 25 overall pick in next month’s draft. Mel Kiper Jr. mocks Addison to New York at 25.
The Giants, who retained Isaiah Hodgins as an RFA, re-signed Sterling Shepard and 2022 receiving leader Darius Slayton and added Parris Campbell and Jamison Crowder. Wan’Dale Robinson still represents the centerpiece here, being signed through 2025. Though, the Kentucky-developed slot player is coming off an ACL tear. There probably will not be room for this sextet to each be part of Brian Daboll‘s second roster, and how the Giants proceed early in the draft will play a major role in determining this position group’s 2023 outlook.
Giants Not Out On Odell Beckham Jr.; Jets, Ravens, Rams Interested
MARCH 28: Attempting to move this process along, Beckham has arrived in Arizona for this round of owners’ meetings. The free agent receiver is expected to meet with teams, and Josina Anderson of CBS Sports notes the Ravens are one of them (Twitter link). Baltimore has added Nelson Agholor in free agency, but the team still features a need for pass catchers — regardless of who will be playing quarterback in 2023. For the time being, Beckham is not expected to meet with the Giants at the league meetings, SNY’s Connor Hughes adds (on Twitter).
MARCH 27: The Giants have been busy at the receiver position this offseason, bringing back Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton and signing Parris Campbell and Jamison Crowder. This glut of veterans, however, will not take them off the Odell Beckham Jr. radar.
While a previous report indicated the Giants are likely out on a Beckham reunion, John Mara said Monday (via the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard) he is in favor of bringing the standout wide receiver back. The longtime owner, however, deferred to his GM and head coach by indicating this is contingent on OBJ fitting into Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll‘s plans.
Mara’s comments come after Robert Saleh confirmed the Jets are indeed interested in signing Beckham, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. The Jets have been on the OBJ radar for a bit now, with Aaron Rodgers wanting to see his likely next NFL team add the talented but injury-prone wideout. Mutual interest is believed to exist.
Beckham expressed interest in rejoining the Giants, who traded him in March 2019, and the team re-signing Shepard and franchise-tagging Saquon Barkley will help keep that door open. Both players have been longtime Beckham friends, dating back to the trio’s time together before the Browns trade. But the Giants still should be considered more likely to finish off their wide receiver augmentations early in the draft. Still, Beckham being available nearly four months after his free agency visit — and after the Cowboys went in another direction — keeps the door slightly ajar for the Giants, who should not be considered certain to carry each of the receivers they signed and re-signed on their 53-man roster come September.
Jets GM Joe Douglas confirmed Monday he has spoken with Beckham’s agent, noting productive conversations have taken place. Douglas expressed confidence in the team’s adjusted receiving corps, via Garafolo, but added OBJ is a “unique player” who remains on the team’s radar. A Beckham-Jets meeting is in play, but Douglas adds nothing is scheduled just yet.
The Jets have signed Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman while shipping out Elijah Moore after two seasons. Beckham remaining on the radar keeps Corey Davis on unsteady ground. The Jets can save $10.5MM by moving on from the former top-five pick, who has one season left on his three-year contract.
The Rams are still keeping tabs on Beckham, GM Les Snead said Monday. That said, The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue does not sense much urgency on the Rams’ part here (Twitter links). Last year, the Rams, as they eyed a Super Bowl title defense, loomed as the frontrunners for months. Snead, Sean McVay and COO Kevin Demoff expressed a desire for Beckham to be re-signed. But OBJ did not like the team’s incentive-laden offer and went ahead with Bills, Giants and Cowboys visits.
McVay’s team is in a different place a year later, trading Jalen Ramsey and cutting Leonard Floyd as they attempt to cut costs and regroup after years of a Super Bowl pursuit. Unless Beckham’s market nosedives further than it already has appeared to, the Rams do not make too much sense as a landing spot any longer.
Jets Still Interested In Odell Beckham Jr.
The Jets’ wide receiver rearranging may not stop at swapping out Elijah Moore for Mecole Hardman. Despite adding Hardman and Allen Lazard, the Jets are still interested in signing Odell Beckham Jr., SNY’s Connor Hughes tweets.
Previous reports have indicated the Jets’ interest, though that remaining the case after Lazard and Hardman’s arrivals is certainly of note, but Hughes adds Beckham and Aaron Rodgers have discussed playing together in New York. Beckham is also interested in joining the Jets, Hughes tweets. Rodgers’ interest in playing with Beckham in New York became known last week, after the eight-year veteran joined Lazard, Randall Cobb and Marcedes Lewis on the quarterback’s list of hopeful Jet targets.
[RELATED: Jets Trade Elijah Moore To Browns]
New York’s receiving corps houses holdovers Garrett Wilson and Corey Davis. The Offensive Rookie of the Year is not going anywhere, but this continued Beckham interest points to the team considering taking Davis’ salary off the payroll. The Jets would obtain $10.5MM in cap space by releasing or trading Davis, who has one season remaining on the three-year, $37.5MM deal he inked in 2021.
Beckham, 30, is far from a safe bet. But Davis has missed 12 games since joining the Jets. OBJ obviously eclipses the former top-five pick for injury risk, having suffered two ACL tears between October 2020 and February 2022. The latter led to the former Pro Bowler missing all of last season, despite the Giants, Cowboys and Bills bringing him in for highly publicized December visits. Beckham both sought more money than those suitors were willing to pay and presented injury concerns — worries that became public after his Cowboys meeting.
The Packers pursued Beckham during his brief free agency stay in 2021, after the Browns agreed to release him. Green Bay ended up finishing second there, and Beckham made significant contributions to the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI-winning season. He topped 100 receiving yards in the 2021 NFC championship game and was on pace to do so again in the Super Bowl, but the second-quarter ACL tear sidetracked that effort — and Beckham’s career — instead.
Although Beckham has long been connected to a $20MM-per-year ask, he recently denied that is the case. Teams are clearly not going anywhere near that number for the talented but injury-prone target. The Jets hold just more than $10MM in cap space, though Rodgers’ contract is not yet on their payroll. The Jets are operating as though the four-time MVP will be their quarterback, and that is expected to happen.
New York’s receiving corps will already look different around its next QB, but will the team end up with three key additions around Wilson or just two? The Chiefs have also been loosely linked to Beckham, as they were in each of the past two years, and the draw of playing with Patrick Mahomes certainly would represent a threat to the Jets’ hopes here. DeAndre Hopkins has also been connected to Kansas City, with veteran NFL reporter Mike Jurecki again indicating (via Twitter) the defending champions are interested in these veteran pass catchers. The Chiefs have now lost Hardman and JuJu Smith-Schuster, and while they plan to give Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore bigger 2023 roles, another veteran presence makes sense.
The Giants and Cowboys are believed to be out on OBJ, though the rest of his market is not known. The Jets’ enduring presence here does make a Beckham Big Apple return an obvious scenario to monitor.
Cowboys Unlikely To Pursue Odell Beckham Jr.?
The Cowboys are one of a few teams which have frequently been mentioned as serious suitors for free agent wideout Odell Beckham Jr. Given their acquisition of Brandin Cooks earlier today, however, they might not be a landing spot for Beckham any longer.
ESPN’s Ed Werder reports that with Cooks now in the fold, the Cowboys are “likely out of the competition” for Beckham (Twitter link). The latter was mentioned throughout the 2022 season as a candidate to head to Dallas, with owner Jerry Jones repeatedly singing his praises. Beckham ultimately sat out the entire campaign, though, returning his focus to his ongoing ACL recovery in advance of finding his next NFL home.
Even with the Texans agreeing to pay one third of Cooks’ 2023 salary, adding Beckham to the Cowboys’ receiver room would be difficult. The 30-year-old has been attached to an asking price of $20MM per season on his next deal, something which would take him out of consideration for the Cowboys and, presumably, many other teams facing tight cap situations. Beckham has pushed back on the reported AAV he is seeking, though.
The three-time Pro Bowler recently tweeted a denial that he has formally asked for $20MM on his next contract. He added, however, that a $4MM-per-season pact is below what he is willing to sign for. An annual salary ranging somewhere between those figures could prove to be a worthwhile investment for a team interested in adding Beckham provided they are satisfied with his knee’s health following his recent workout.
Dallas being out of the running could point Beckham towards a reunion with the Giants, something which has been reported to be on New York’s radar for quite some time. GM Joe Schoen has been busy in the pass-catching department this offseason, though, including multiple re-signings at the WR position, the addition of Parris Campbell and the trade acquisition of tight end Darren Waller. Beckham tweeted a response to Giants running back Saquon Barkley hinting that he would still be interested in a new Giants deal if it were to be possible.
Recently, however, the New York team mentioned as most likely to acquire Beckham has been the Jets. Especially if an Aaron Rodgers trade were to be finalized, Beckham’s presence on the quarterback’s reported wish list could see him be a Jets target as they look to re-tool their offense for 2023. In any event, the chances of a Beckham-to-Dallas deal now appear to be at their lowest yet.
Jets Interested In Odell Beckham Jr.; Giants Out Of Mix?
The Jets are now connected to every player on Aaron Rodgers‘ wish list. The highest-profile name on said list, Odell Beckham Jr., is on the team’s radar, Dianna Russini of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
Beckham surfaced as a possible Jets target earlier this week, when Russini listed him as part of Rodgers’ list of free agents he wanted the Jets to acquire. Rodgers said later this week he would love to play with OBJ, and Russini adds the Jets have stayed in touch with the veteran wide receiver’s camp.
Allen Lazard has officially signed with the Jets, checking off one of the names from the list, and the team has been connected to both Randall Cobb and Marcedes Lewis. Neither have joined Lazard in signing, and Beckham has been linked to a few other teams. One of those, the Giants, looks likely to move on. After hosting Beckham on the first visit of his December free agency tour and being expected to resume that free agency courtship this year, the Giants re-signed Darius Slayton and added Parris Campbell on Thursday. OBJ is believed to be out of Big Blue’s price range, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com tweets.
The latest Rodgers trade saga finally looks to have the future Hall of Famer set to relocate, but the Packers and Jets do not agree on compensation. It does not sound like the teams are close, with Jets brass viewing the Packers’ reported ask — a first-round pick and then a conditional 2025 draft asset for a scenario in which Rodgers plays in 2024 — as unreasonable for a player they are not planning to use next season. But the Jets are proceeding with the expectation they will employ Rodgers in 2023. And they are considering an overhaul of their receiver room — much of it, at least.
Lazard joins Garrett Wilson as the team’s top two receivers. While Corey Davis would qualify for such status over Lazard, his place with the organization is tenuous due to his salary and the Lazard signing. A Beckham addition would almost certainly lead to Davis’ departure. Elijah Moore remains in the picture, with the Jets not honoring his in-season trade request last year. But the former second-round pick did not match his rookie-year production in 2022. Beckham being a legitimate candidate to join the Jets would call Moore’s role into question as well.
As of Friday morning, the Jets hold barely $15MM in cap space. Were Rodgers’ contract to land on New York’s cap this year, he would be tied to a cap number just north of $15MM. We are a long way away from that part of Gang Green’s offseason, it appears, and the team will make more moves to free up funds as well. Davis could be one of them. Cutting the former Titans top-five pick would save the Jets more than $10MM.
Beckham, 30, is also tied to an unreasonable price point and has been for months. Still connected to a $20MM-per-year ask, Beckham will need to move off that number — likely by a considerable margin — to land with a team and resume his career. The former Giants standout did make significant contributions to the Rams’ Super Bowl-winning effort in 2021, but his second ACL tear and full-season absence altered his career path. A $20MM-per-year deal would have been realistic had OBJ finished Super Bowl LVI unscathed, but that obviously did not happen.
The Giants’ receiver room resembles its 2022 composition, with both Slayton and Sterling Shepard re-signing despite initially arriving under previous GMs (Jerry Reese, Dave Gettleman). Campbell and ex-Brian Daboll Bills charge Isaiah Hodgins join them, as does 2022 second-rounder Wan’Dale Robinson. Darren Waller is the biggest name in the Giants’ pass-catching mix, but the Pro Bowl tight end has also struggled to stay healthy. The Giants are likely still on the hunt for a starter-caliber receiver — probably in the draft — but they look to be closing the door on a Beckham reunion.