Odell Beckham Jr.

Cowboys Aim To Add Another Weapon; Team Eyeing Extensions For CeeDee Lamb, Trevon Diggs

March 3rd, 2023 at 11:35am CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys have Michael Gallup entering the second year of his five-year extension, and the team’s No. 2 wide receiver is now more than a year removed from his ACL tear. The team is also expected to use the franchise tag to keep Tony Pollard off the market. But it is eyeing an addition to its skill-position corps as well.

Dallas will pursue a “dynamic weapon” this offseason, Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News notes. This will naturally reconnect the Cowboys to Odell Beckham Jr., but Gehlken cautions nothing is imminent there. The addition could also come in the draft.

It also might come at tight end, as Dalton Schultz is likely to leave in free agency. Headlined by Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer and Utah’s Dalton Kincaid, this tight class is viewed as the best in many years. Both those options could well be gone by the time the Cowboys’ No. 26 overall pick arrives. This draft’s receiver class is not viewed as highly, at least compared to the past few, and Stephen Jones‘ comments of the team readying to use the franchise tag almost certainly point to Pollard being the recipient. It would cost just $10.1MM for the Cowboys to keep Pollard. It would be the sixth straight year in which Dallas has used the tag.

As far as veteran receivers go, Beckham headlines a free agency crop not viewed glowingly. It would be interesting to see the Cowboys pay Gallup, tag Pollard and spend on another wide receiver. The team also has designs on extending CeeDee Lamb, with Jones indicating (via the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins) both he and Trevon Diggs are in the team’s long-term plans.

Lamb’s fifth-year option will be picked up, Gehlken adds, as could be expected given his status as a cornerstone player for the team. This would lock in Lamb through 2024, with his price rising next year. Without a fifth-year option available regarding Diggs, a second-round pick, the Cowboys will soon see their top cornerback enter a contract year.

Beyond Beckham, the market stands to include JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jakobi Meyers, DJ Chark and Allen Lazard. Michael Thomas also looks to be available, but the former Saints All-Pro has missed much of the past three seasons. At close to his best, Beckham would qualify as a dynamic weapon. He showed that during the Rams’ 2021 Super Bowl run, one that included an explosive Beckham Super Bowl LVI start before his ACL tear. Beckham did not play last season, healing the second of his two ACL tears sustained during the 2020s, and will turn 31 during the 2023 slate. The Cowboys, Rams and Giants are expected to resume their pursuits of the eight-year veteran, and while Dallas was viewed as the favorite during the late-season sweepstakes, this will be one of the harder price projections to make in recent free agency history.

The Cowboys ended up selling low on Amari Cooper, collecting late-round picks from the Browns for their former No. 1 receiver, and Gallup did not show his previous form after returning from the December 2021 ACL tear. Third-round pick Jalen Tolbert did not acclimate as quickly as the team hoped, Gehlken adds. The South Alabama alum did not see much action last season, and the Cowboys cut James Washington not long after he recovered from his summer foot fracture. Lamb, Gallup and Tolbert are the top receivers under contract; six-year Cowboy Noah Brown is also a free agent. Gallup also underwent arthroscopic knee surgery a few weeks ago but is expected to be ready for OTAs.

Cowboys target Brandin Cooks is again available via trade, though the Texans’ new price point remains to be seen, but Gehlken adds the team is not close on trading for a pass catcher. DeAndre Hopkins joins Cooks in being on the trade block. Jonathan Gannon stopped short of guaranteeing Hopkins will be a Cardinal in 2023, Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com notes, and the former All-Pro’s 2022 PED suspension voided his no-trade clause.

Dallas’ recent big skill-position swings have moved the needle significantly. Cooper made two Pro Bowls as a Cowboy and reeled off three 1,000-yard seasons, while Lamb — chosen after Henry Ruggs and Jerry Jeudy but before Justin Jefferson — broke through for a career-high 1,359 yards and nine touchdown catches in 2022. It appears a serious effort to complement Lamb and Pollard will commence soon.

Giants Likely To Resume Odell Beckham Jr. Pursuit, Eye First-Round WR Pick

February 26th, 2023 at 9:39am CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants won their first playoff game in 11 years last month, but their wide receiver plan unraveled early in the season. The team’s hopeful top four options at the position going into the season were either injured, traded or nonfactors by the stretch run. As should be expected, outside help will be pursued this offseason.

This year’s wide receiver free agent market is not particularly flashy, which could lead to increased trade buzz. But the Giants should be expected to pick up where they left off with Odell Beckham Jr., Connor Hughes of SNY notes. The team did not view Beckham as being a realistic candidate to help last season, and the former Giant carried unrealistic price demands. This combination scuttled the Giants’ interest, and the other suitors backed off as well. But Beckham will be a factor in free agency.

Assuming Beckham has used the past few months to move closer to 100%, or around 80% of the version he was prior to his second ACL tear, Hughes expects the Giants to be in the mix until the end for a reunion. Beckham, 30, has expressed steady interest in his former team, as tweets during last season’s surprise playoff journey most recently showed, but he may not have the same interest if the Giants move on from both Sterling Shepard and Saquon Barkley. The two skill-position holdovers from Beckham’s Giants stay are free agency-bound, though the team has shown steady interest in keeping Barkley — so long as such a pursuit does not involve letting Daniel Jones walk.

The Cowboys and Rams are also expected to revisit a Beckham push. Considering this year’s underwhelming market, it will be interesting to see where teams will go to add OBJ. The eight-year veteran was last seen playing a major role in the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI win, but his second ACL tear crushed his 2022 market. He will join the likes of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jakobi Meyers, Allen Lazard, DJ Chark and others on this year’s market.

Shepard joins Wan’Dale Robinson as Giants wideouts to have suffered major injuries in 2022 and joins Darius Slayton in being unattached for 2023. The Giants will also cut Kenny Golladay soon; a post-June 1 distinction will create $13.5MM in cap space for Joe Schoen‘s team. Although free agency will be a key avenue for Big Blue to upgrade at this position, its best chance of landing a No. 1-caliber option will be in the draft. It represents a fairly safe bet the Giants will strongly consider a wideout in Round 1, Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports notes.

Penciling in a receiver at No. 25 for New York should be a “pretty safe” bet for the Giants, per Vacchiano. Todd McShay’s first mock sends Boston College’s Zay Flowers to the Giants, while Daniel Jeremiah’s second pegs Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt as the ascending team’s pick. This is a less optimal time to enter an offseason with a receiver need. In addition to the maligned free agency crop, the draft does not look to carry the caliber of talent of recent years. This class lacks dominant options, at least going in, Jeremiah offers (via Ben Volin of the Boston Globe). The upcoming Combine and pro days will reveal more about this class’ capabilities.

The Giants’ last major receiver draft splash came two years ago, in Kadarius Toney. After the Eagles foiled the Giants’ plans to take DeVonta Smith, the Dave Gettleman regime settled on Toney. The shifty but incredibly injury-prone player wore out his welcome quickly in the Big Apple, and the Giants traded him to the Chiefs for third- and sixth-round picks. Toney has not stayed healthy in Kansas City, either, but he did score a walk-in touchdown in Super Bowl LVII and set a Super Bowl record with a 65-yard punt return. The Chiefs acquired Toney before the trade deadline, but GM Brett Veach said (via The Athletic’s Dan Duggan) the team discussed him with the Giants during the 2022 offseason.

Toney trade talk emerged briefly in the offseason, before the team shot it down. During that window, however, a Chiefs offer may well have emerged. The Giants held off on doing a trade with the Chiefs at that point, rightly viewing Kansas City picks as being likely to land late in rounds. Presumably, no better offers for the ex-Florida Gator come before the deadline. The Giants ended up landing the last picks in Round 3 and Round 6 (Nos. 100 and 196 overall) in the trade.

Cowboys, Rams Likely To Pursue Odell Beckham Jr. In Free Agency

February 1st, 2023 at 1:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Odell Beckham Jr.‘s free agency sweepstakes ended up producing nothing. The long-rumored Cowboys late-season signing did not happen, with injury concerns and the price tag scuttling an agreement.

The eight-year veteran sitting out this season, as opposed to attempting to score a multiyear deal at a late juncture and thus passing on a March free agency bid, made more sense as he finished up rehab from his second ACL tear. Beckham should now generate more interest on the market, after his Super Bowl LVI knee injury hijacked his 2022 free agency bid.

Two familiar teams should be expected back in the mix. The Cowboys will resume talks with Beckham in free agency, Jerry and Stephen Jones said Wednesday (via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill), while The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue notes the Rams will likely pursue their 2021 starter as well (subscription required).

Jerry Jones took the wheel of the latest Beckham hype train, but after the parties’ visit, the presumed signing did not take place. Beckham hoped to catch on with a team, finish up his recovery and learn an offense ahead of a playoffs-only docket. Jones sought a player capable of contributing down the stretch in the regular season, and some leaks from Beckham’s Cowboys visit revealed the team did not believe the marquee wideout would have been able to meet that deadline. The Cowboys ended up adding T.Y. Hilton, but he is not under contract for 2023. While Jones moved the goalposts a bit and continued to indicate the team was in talks with OBJ despite the veteran pass catcher’s playoffs-only push, this storyline stopped before Christmas.

Both the Cowboys and Rams featured close Beckham ties last year. For months, the Rams appeared to have the inside track to re-sign OBJ. Each of the Rams’ power brokers confirmed they were negotiating, but Beckham ended up balking at an incentive-laden Los Angeles offer. Sean McVay indicated the team would make a better offer, but his team fell out of contention and was not in position to woo Beckham any longer. With McVay confirmed to coach a seventh Rams season, the team should be primed to investigate a Beckham move again.

While Rodrigue cautions the Rams probably will not be too aggressive for Beckham, his market value took a hit because of the season off. Beckham turned 30 in November, has not played since Super Bowl LVI and has sustained two ACL tears since November 2020. Although OBJ’s hot start to the Rams-Bengals matchup would have vaulted him in position to cash in big in March 2022, the second tear scrapped that reality. It will be interesting to see how teams approach him this year, especially considering a potentially weak receiver market awaits. As of now, Beckham will join the likes of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Allen Lazard, Jakobi Meyers and DJ Chark in free agency.

Latest On Cowboys, Odell Beckham Jr.

December 20th, 2022 at 2:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Twists keep coming in the Cowboys’ Odell Beckham Jr. saga. Days after proclaiming the free agent wide receiver would join the Cowboys, Jerry Jones is backing off.

This lengthy courtship has gone from the Cowboys being the runaway favorites to rumblings of OBJ’s health scuttling a deal to Jones being OK with Beckham’s playoffs-only plan to now the owner indicating time is slipping away regarding a deal.

“I don’t I don’t have an assessment of that,” Jones said during his latest 105.3 The Fan appearance regarding a potential Beckham deal (via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill). “But as of this morning, we don’t have anything but I don’t I don’t have an assessment. The reality is though that time is moving on down the road relative to being relative to playing in the playoffs. And so every day diminishes our chances of going forward.”

Despite Jones’ comments last week, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson adds (via Twitter) no deal was imminent at that point and nothing is believed to be in the works early this week. While we have heard next to nothing on Beckham and the Bills or Giants, it is safe to still call the Cowboys the favorites. But this will-they/won’t-they drama is now late in its second month.

The Rams led the way on the OBJ front for months, but their incentive-laden offer and on-field struggles took them out of the mix. The Cowboys did not surface as a team to watch until shortly after failing to acquire Brandin Cooks and Jerry Jeudy at the trade deadline. Nearly two months have passed since the Cowboys zoomed onto the Beckham radar, but the 30-year-old pass catcher’s injury timetable continues to be pushed back. Long thought to be ready to play by December, Beckham has since indicated hopes of signing with a team ahead of the playoffs for the purposes of ramping up toward a postseason return.

The Cowboys boast a deeper receiver situation than they did to start this season. Despite third-round rookie Jalen Tolbert failing to carve out playing time, Dallas has seen Michael Gallup regain some of his pre-ACL-tear form and Noah Brown enjoy his best season yet. James Washington has debuted, and T.Y. Hilton is now on the team. The 10-year Colt has not made his Cowboys debut yet, however. Beckham seems to still have a path to join this contingent, but his price point — once thought to be around $20MM AAV on a multiyear deal — certainly has impacted negotiations as well. Ten months after the former Giants, Browns and Rams receiver suffered his second ACL tear, the wait continues.

Jerry Jones: ‘Odell’s Going To Join Us’

December 18th, 2022 at 2:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

DECEMBER 18: Adding further detail to Dallas’ ongoing pursuit, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes that Jones has exclusively been the one involved in communication with Beckham throughout the latter stages of this process. The team informed Hilton of their intention of still inking Beckham to a deal despite the addition of the longtime Colt, but he has reciprocated their enthusiasm for a Beckham deal aimed at boosting a postseason run.

DECEMBER 16: After the Odell Beckham Jr. market looked to be slowing, Jerry Jones is accelerating it to the point he expects the eight-year veteran to sign with the Cowboys soon.

Jones had said Beckham playing in the regular season would factor in heavily to a Cowboys signing, but even after OBJ made comments indicating he would prefer to join a team with the intent of preparing to play only in the playoffs, the longtime owner expects this agreement to go through.

“Odell’s going to join us,” Jones said, via USA Today’s Jarrett Bell. “There’s a good chance he will, with the complete goal of getting ready for a playoff game or two, and then I’ll look to the future. But most of it being about now.”

Viewed as the frontrunners ahead of Beckham’s three-visit week, the Cowboys could move to make this long-rumored signing after their Week 15 game against the Jaguars, Bell adds. While Beckham has angled for a multiyear deal, Jones said the focus on a Cowboys agreement would be for the rest of this season.

Beckham’s Cowboys visit produced several headlines centered around his ACL rehab needing more time than expected. Rumors about Beckham not being ready to go until February surfaced. Beckham tweeted a pawn emoji following the visit, and although the same kind of leaks about his health did not surface after his Giants and Bills visits, rumors connecting him to the New York suitors have died down. Conversely, the Cowboys have continued to talk with Beckham and share that these talks are occurring. Jones’ confidence here points to this process being near the finish line, which would bring an end to one of the longest-running free agency sagas in NFL history.

The former Pro Bowler did not work out for the Giants, Bills or Cowboys, but Jones confirmed Beckham has been working out and “is extraordinary.” Following a week and change of uncertainty in the Cowboys-Beckham drama, the tone here seems to have shifted back to lavish praise. Jones and several Cowboys players spent time recruiting the marquee free agent ahead of and during his time in Dallas last week, and though Beckham’s hopes for a deal in the $20MM-AAV range never seemed in step with his situation, a uniquely structured contract may be in the cards.

Beckham is an in-season free agent for the second straight year, and it will be interesting to see how is Cowboys contract — in the event Jones and Co. finalize this accord, at long last — compares to his incentive-laden Rams pact (which ended up paying out $4.75MM) from November 2021. Beckham’s second ACL tear in a 20-month span cost him a lucrative free agency payday this year. The former Giants, Browns and Rams target could attempt to skip this season in an effort to prioritize a 2023 market run — a rumored scenario around the league this week — but Jones believes OBJ will play this season.

Should Beckham sign, the Cowboys will be set to deploy an intriguing receiving corps for the playoffs. The team has CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup, the latter having recovered from a December 2021 ACL tear, leading the way. And Dalton Schultz has improved after a slow start. Beckham would also stand to reduce the roles of James Washington, Noah Brown and recent signee T.Y. Hilton. Acclimation issues may emerge, as it is not exactly common for teams to introduce a high-profile skill player into the mix in the playoffs, but Beckham and Dak Prescott navigating those would raise the Cowboys’ offensive ceiling — assuming Beckham is full-go by mid-January.

“I’m hopeful we can get into some important games and have some Deion Sanders-type results,” Jones said. “Could this be possible to have a great player like that get in two or three playoff games and make some significant plays? I think very much so. That’s not an exaggerated thought at all.”

Beckham is coming off a turbulent 2021, which involved him forcing his way out of Cleveland, but the LSU alum’s form during the postseason has driven this market. The former Giants first-rounder topped 100 yards in the Rams’ NFC championship game win and was well on his way to matching that performance in Super Bowl LVI, before his second-quarter injury. We may soon finally see how Beckham looks coming off his second major knee setback.

Latest On Cowboys’ Odell Beckham Jr. Pursuit, T.Y. Hilton Contract

December 15th, 2022 at 12:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Since Odell Beckham Jr. visited the Cowboys last week, Bills and Giants connections to the high-profile free agent have been sparse. But OBJ’s Cowboys summit began a run of injury drama. Nevertheless, the NFC East squad remains attached to a possible deal.

Jerry Jones said (via ESPN.com’s Todd Archer) to “stand by” regarding a potential Beckham agreement, adding “this thing could break.” Seeming to recognize his team’s pole position in this unusual free agency derby, Jones continues to discuss Beckham openly. That said, NFL.com’s Jane Slater, while noting Jones’ “wild card” status, tweets a deal is unlikely as of now.

Beckham’s reported hopes for a multiyear contract in the $20MM-AAV range were never realistic, and after his Cowboys visit wrapped, Dallas was not believed to have made an offer. Beckham, 30, had planned to choose a team shortly after his visits concluded. But the offers — if any occurred during his three visits — do not appear to have been satisfactory. This led to a Wednesday report indicating teams believe Beckham will sit out the season and wait for 2023, rather than play on a lesser deal and risk reinjury now. That strategy has always made the most sense, but the Cowboys are not closing up shop just yet.

In the meantime, the Cowboys have T.Y. Hilton in the fold. Brought in reportedly to be an immediate depth piece while the team determines its Beckham path, Hilton secured a $600K guarantee for the Cowboys’ final four games, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Hilton’s Dallas deal, thanks to its $50K per-game roster bonuses and $700K in playoff incentives, can max out at $1.5MM. If the Cowboys win a wild-card game and Hilton plays at least 30% of their offensive snaps, Pelissero adds (via Twitter) the 11th-year receiver will collect $100K. That structure applies to the divisional round ($150K), the NFC championship game ($200K) and Super Bowl LVII ($250K).

While it is worth noting the Cowboys have not ventured to the NFC title game since their Super Bowl XXX appearance 27 years ago, they are 10-3 and brought in Hilton to help negotiate this persistent barrier. Hilton, 33, said he fielded calls from several teams this offseason but opted to remain a free agent and watch his sons’ football seasons, waiting for the right offer.

“I had a great offseason just watching them and I got a couple of calls, a lot of calls,” Hilton said, via the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins. “I told my agent if I get the right call, the right situation, I’m interested. I feel like this is the right situation.”

Hilton said he was healthy to close last season, leading him to consider another year. Among active wideouts, only DeSean Jackson (35) and A.J. Green (34) are older than Hilton, who joins Julio Jones and Cole Beasley as receivers currently in an age-33 season. A four-time Pro Bowler, Hilton is the third-leading receiver in Colts history. He did post a 762-yard season in 2020, but after missing a chunk of last year due to a neck injury, the former Andrew Luck target totaled just 331 yards on 23 receptions in 2021. The Colts moved on this offseason, drafting Alec Pierce in the second round to complement Michael Pittman Jr.

The Cowboys will add Hilton a receiver mix including CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, Noah Brown and the recently activated James Washington. It will be interesting to see what Hilton has left, and it is conceivable the longtime Colt’s performance could impact the Cowboys’ Beckham pursuit. But the team has chased Beckham for several weeks and has been the only suitor linked to him over the past several days. The saga continues, but Hilton will attempt to help the contending team in the meantime.

Teams Expecting Odell Beckham Jr. To Sit Out Season?

December 14th, 2022 at 10:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Odell Beckham Jr. hype train has slowed down. The last of Beckham’s three free agency visits ended more than a week ago, and it produced a run of headlines pertaining to the high-profile wide receiver’s late-season availability.

Skepticism about Beckham being able to contribute for a contender this season had brewed before he embarked on his free agency tour, and his Cowboys meeting led to reports of a further delayed timetable — compared to the long-rumored November-December return window. This preceded Beckham coming out and saying he preferred to sign with a team and only play in the playoffs. OBJ now looks to be considering moving that timetable back further.

Several teams believe Beckham is moving toward shutting down his efforts to play this season, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes. It is fairly clear the offers Beckham sought — reportedly in the $20MM-AAV range on a multiyear accord — have not emerged. The Cowboys are not believed to have submitted an offer during their visit, despite weeks of courting the former Pro Bowler. Beckham, 30, would be in a better position to hit free agency healthy if he did not attempt to play this season.

Mentioned as an option here, Beckham punting on the 2022 campaign would put him in line to be part of a thin free agent receiver class. Ahead of potential cap casualties, next year’s UFA crop stands to be headlined by DJ Chark, Jakobi Meyers, Allen Lazard and JuJu Smith-Schuster. This class is believed to be affecting Beckham’s plans, per Fowler, who adds that teams who have done homework on the eight-year vet expect him to wait and be part of this crop.

Taking this route will mean a 19-month gap between games for the former Giants, Browns and Rams wideout, who has been rehabbing his second ACL tear. The money OBJ would have received this offseason, had he not been injured, may never be available to him again. While Beckham already played four seasons on a five-year, $95MM deal he signed back in 2018, the first half of Super Bowl LVI showed he still had plenty left in the tank. Regrouping for 2023 may still limit his earning power, due to age and injury history, but it would protect him against a reinjury this year crushing his value — perhaps irrevocably.

That said, a Beckham-Cowboys partnership is not dead yet. The Cowboys signed T.Y. Hilton this week, and Josina Anderson of CBS Sports tweets that move partially came about because the team is not certain how long the end of Beckham’s rehab effort will take. One report indicated Beckham would not be ready to play again until February 2023. Jerry Jones said Beckham playing during the regular season was important for a signing to commence, but he stopped short of saying it was mandatory. Jones said late last week the sides were still talking, and Anderson adds (via Twitter) they huddled up again Monday night to discuss terms and a timetable.

Dallas has won four straight and now has a deeper receiving corps than it carried into the season. Michael Gallup is healthier, while James Washington made his debut in Week 14 after missing most of the season due to a foot fracture. A four-time Pro Bowler during his 10-season Colts stay, Hilton supplies more depth for the CeeDee Lamb-fronted group. A healthy Beckham would certainly make the Cowboys’ offense more dangerous, but it became clear last week the Cowboys do not view Beckham as healthy.

Injuries to other teams’ receiving cadres likely will continue to keep a late-season OBJ signing on the radar, but both the Cowboys and Bills (Cole Beasley, John Brown) have made moves to add lower-profile depth recently. Beckham attempting to be the rare impact player to spend a season without a team and come back would make for an interesting scenario, and more teams figure to pursue him in free agency come March. Will that now be the window when Beckham finally signs?

Jerry Jones: Cowboys Still In Contact With Odell Beckham Jr.

December 12th, 2022 at 12:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

DECEMBER 12: With Beckham’s visits now complete, all three teams which hosted him are “in a holding pattern,” as detailed by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. He adds that nothing is imminent, and no details from a financial standpoint have been discussed — something which comes as little surprise at this point, given the widespread belief that the veteran will not suit up until the 2022 postseason at the earliest. Still, the Cowboys, Giants and Bills are “confident” in Beckham’s ACL recovery, so a deal is not out of the question.

DECEMBER 9: The Cowboys have gone from the Odell Beckham Jr. frontrunners to outright skeptics about his potential 2022 contributions. While this potential partnership has encountered turbulence, Jerry Jones said an agreement could still happen.

It is now widely known Beckham is not on track to play during the regular season. The high-profile free agent said as much during a Thursday-night appearance on LeBron James’ The Shop (video link via Amazon). Coming to grips with this somewhat unexpected reality, Jones confirmed the sides are still talking.

“Yes, we’re still in contact. Yes. Yes. Yes,” Jones said during his latest 105.3 The Fan appearance (via The Athletic’s Jon Machota, on Twitter). “Is there a timeline? Probably the fact that time is ticking in terms of getting in here and really initiating the heavy work in rehab to get there for the playoffs if it’s gonna happen.”

Beckham, 30, said he wanted to sign somewhere weeks ahead of the playoffs, though he made a somewhat strange point about eschewing regular-season activity. Previously, OBJ’s Cowboys visit had produced a consensus he would not be healthy enough to contribute during the regular season — something Jones said would impact a signing — but his most recent comments suggest apathy toward joining a new team and playing right away.

“I’ve played football for a long time,” Beckham said. “I’m not saying that I couldn’t step in and play regular season, but I don’t see the point. I really don’t. I would rather play when that pressure’s on. I’d rather play when the lights is on.”

While Beckham is nearly 10 months’ removed from his second ACL tear, this stance would not give teams too much confidence he would be ready to make major contributions in the playoffs. Beckham signing quickly would give him assimilation time, but teams then being asked to trot him out in a regular role in a high-stakes game represents an interesting scenario. Beckham’s Rams late-season acclimation window proved pivotal, and he built on that in the playoffs to help his third NFL team win Super Bowl LVI. Reports throughout the offseason pegged November or early December as the expected Beckham return point. It suddenly turning into playoffs-or-nothing has brought a plot twist.

Beckham also said he and ex-Giants teammate Saquon Barkley had unfinished business during their brief run as teammates (video link). The former’s 2019 trade to the Browns capped the standouts’ time together as Giants to one season (2018). Barkley zoomed to Offensive Rookie of the Year honors that year, while Beckham topped 1,000 receiving yards — before an injury shut him down. Sterling Shepard also said Beckham would like to return to the Giants, but money and this availability issue could impede a path back to the Big Apple.

The Cowboys did not offer Beckham a deal and have doubts about his ability to contribute before even February. It is not known how the Bills or Giants feel regarding his potential unavailability until at least the playoffs, but he remains without a team as Week 14 nears. This saga is showing no signs of slowing down.

Cowboys Did Not Make Offer To Odell Beckham Jr.

December 7th, 2022 at 2:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

2:14pm: For what it’s worth, Jones said the team is still “working on it” with regards to a Beckham agreement, per The Athletic’s Jon Machota (on Twitter). It just does not seem nearly as likely to come to pass as it did before OBJ arrived for his visit.

12:54pm: Tuesday brought twists in the Odell Beckham Jr.-Cowboys saga, and the parties appear to be drifting apart. After entering this run of free agency visits as the favorite to land Beckham, the Cowboys ended their set of meetings without making an offer, Jane Slater of NFL.com reports (video link).

A run of information about Beckham’s Cowboys physical differed from the scant intel that emerged from the veteran wideout’s Giants and Bills visits. Beckham return timetables loosely pegged November or December as windows for the eight-year receiver to return, but Slater adds the Cowboys left their visit uncertain if he would even be available if they were to play in Super Bowl LVII. Beckham, of course, has been rehabbing an ACL tear from Super Bowl LVI.

Tuesday night’s report indicated Dallas was not expecting Beckham to be ready before the playoffs, but Beckham’s camp did mention the receiver is on track to be available for a team by the postseason. That aligns with what Beckham told Micah Parsons, who said the recent Cowboys guest informed him it will be five weeks before he expects to return, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill (on Twitter). Following his Cowboys visit, Beckham tweeted a pawn emoji. With the Cowboys long having been the frontrunners, Beckham may need to weigh his other options.

Not seeing Beckham work out affected the Cowboys’ perception here, Slater adds. Jerry Jones said he could not express confidence in OBJ’s potential availability. Despite Jones expressing steady praise for the former Giants, Browns and Rams playmaker, it certainly looks like this signing will not happen. Jones wants Beckham to contribute during the Cowboys’ regular season, Ed Werder of ESPN.com adds, noting that he does not expect an agreement (Twitter link).

While the Chiefs and Ravens also loomed as suitors leading up to Beckham’s scheduled meetings elsewhere, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk mentions the Eagles as potential OBJ lurkers (Twitter link). Philadelphia has A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith in place as a high-end duo, with Quez Watkins operating as the team’s No. 3 wideout. The Rams swooped in late for Beckham last year, despite having Robert Woods healthy alongside Cooper Kupp and Van Jefferson. Woods’ injury happened shortly after Beckham signed and created a clearer need, but Los Angeles pursued OBJ with a deep receiver arsenal. Will Philly do the same?

Beckham, 30, has been connected to an unrealistic price point — the $20MM-per-year Chris Godwin–Mike Williams range — and a deal that runs beyond 2022. Beckham could have aimed for a contract in this ballpark in free agency, had he not suffered a second ACL tear in his left knee in February, but there probably is not a strong option — financially speaking, at least — out there at this point. The Rams’ incentive-laden offer earlier this fall irked their former hired-gun pass catcher, who finished his initial ACL rehab in 11 months. The playoffs would mark an 11-month turnaround this time.

Beckham can attempt to bolster his free agency value by trying to make a postseason impact somewhere, or he can regroup and shut down efforts to play this season with an eye toward a 2023 free agency accord.

Latest On WR Odell Beckham Jr.

December 6th, 2022 at 9:44pm CST by Ben Levine

Odell Beckham Jr.‘s third and final visit has concluded, but it’s uncertain if a contract is imminent. Josina Anderson tweets that the wideout’s visit with the Cowboys concluded earlier this evening. This followed reports from earlier today that Dallas was concerned about OBJ’s knee.

Throughout the sweepstakes, there’s been persistent skepticism that OBJ would be able to contribute this season after suffering a torn ACL during last season’s Super Bowl. After opining earlier today that any team signing the wideout wouldn’t benefit until the 2023 campaign, Ed Werder adds (on Twitter) that the Cowboys “should not reasonably expect OBJ to play before [the] postseason.” Werder adds that Jerry Jones has been consistent in his assertion that a receiver acquistion needs to contribute during the regular season, but with only five games remaining, there’s a chance the executive’s stance has changed.

The wideout met with the Cowboys this week after previously meeting with the Giants and Bills. Unless something changed during tonight’s meeting, the Giants were the only reported team to put OBJ through an actual workout. This only adds uncertainty to OBJ’s readiness, although the wideout was cleared to return to the field in November.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk is raising an eyebrow to the sudden leaks surrounding OBJ’s playing status. A league source told Florio that the negative info is “astounding” and wondered how the player could “even consider signing there now.” That same source questioned if the Cowboys are simply going through the motions to placate fans, and that would add to a previous sentiment that Dallas was only trying to drive up the price on their division rival.

There may be more to the Cowboys’ public posturing. Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets that the two sides were “still aways apart” with contract negotiations heading into tonight’s meeting. Previous reports indicated that Beckham was seeking a multiyear offer with a $20MM-plus AAV, although that was always considered to be unrealistic. The Rams offered an incentive-laden deal when they pursued OBJ earlier this season, but the receiver was quick to dismiss that arrangement.

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