Latest On Giants’ Potential Interest In OBJ
Odell Beckham Jr. visited East Rutherford last month to say hi to some of his former teammates and Giants staff members. Since he didn’t meet with GM Joe Schoen nor head coach Brian Daboll, the pop-in didn’t qualify as an official visit. However, that doesn’t mean the Giants wouldn’t have interest in reuniting with their former star receiver. Schoen told reporters that the organization is keeping their options open when it comes to midseason additions.
“I had no idea he was in the building until he was out of the building,” Schoen said of OBJ’s October visit (via ESPN’s Jordan Raanan). “Obviously he’s been a good player. He’s a guy we would consider and talk to, when he’s healthy. I think he did the ACL in February, so not sure really where he is physically.
“But yeah, any player that would upgrade the roster we’re going to consider and have conversations with their representatives.”
The veteran receiver is almost nine months removed from the torn ACL he suffered during the Super Bowl. Since then, he’s been connected to a number of contenders, and it was assumed OBJ would join a new squad once he was fully recovered from his injury. With a 6-2 record, the Giants have suddenly emerged as a potential suitor for the receiver, a move that would reunite him with the organization that he spent his first five professional seasons with.
It remains to be seen what OBJ can bring to the table, especially following the ACL injury. Beckham, who turns 30 today, hasn’t topped 1,000 receiving yards since the 2019 campaign. In 14 games (13 starts) with the Browns and Rams last year, the receiver hauled in 44 receptions for 537 yards and five touchdowns.
Even if he isn’t providing his top-tier production, Beckham could still be a useful piece for the Giants. Kenny Golladay has missed the past four games, but even then, the veteran was struggling to carve out a significant role on offense prior to his absence. The Giants also dealt Kadarius Toney to the Chiefs earlier this week, leaving Darius Slayton and rookie Wan’Dale Robinson atop the depth chart.
Vikings Have Discussed Odell Beckham Jr.; Latest On Packers’ Interest
Odell Beckham Jr. might not be ready to return from his ACL tear until around Thanksgiving, but teams continue to monitor the rehabbing standout. As the Chiefs join the Rams as a potentially serious contender for the eight-year veteran wide receiver, the NFC North’s non-rebuilding sect has him on the radar.
The Vikings have held internal discussions about the prospect of signing Beckham, according to Outkick.com’s Armando Salguero. While the Packers have been linked to Beckham both this year and last, Salguero adds Aaron Rodgers would like to have OBJ in Green Bay.
Minnesota has surged to 5-1 and has a top-five wideout already rostered, in Justin Jefferson. The team employs Adam Thielen as well, but the Minnesota native is in his age-32 season. Beckham, 30 in November, would be a splashy addition for a team that is in the rare position of being two games up on the Packers — with a Week 1 win over Green Bay in its pocket — despite Rodgers being healthy.
The Vikings also have a potential selling point in Kevin O’Connell, who was the Rams’ offensive coordinator during Beckham’s successful late-season run. O’Connell’s first Vikes squad ranks just 19th in total offense through six games, despite its key principals having stayed healthy.
Green Bay is believed to be looking into wide receiver help, after having resisted calls to augment its post-Davante Adams situation at the position this offseason. The Packers have seen sporadic production from rookies Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson, but the latter — whom Green Bay traded up with Minnesota for during this year’s second round — has dealt with multiple injuries. The Packers have also seen the veteran wing of their receiving corps — Randall Cobb and Sammy Watkins — go down this season. Cobb is expected to miss extensive time due to an ankle injury, leaving Rodgers with scant experience beyond Allen Lazard.
Beckham was believed to have been down to the Rams and Packers during his unusual free agency sweepstakes last November. Armed with Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, the Packers still surged to the NFC’s No. 1 seed. But their offense went quiet in a divisional-round loss. The team traded Adams to the Raiders and let MVS sign with the Chiefs, despite showing interest in retaining him. Beckham would fill a bigger need in Green Bay this year, but other teams beyond the NFC North will be involved as well.
Buffalo has also held internal OBJ discussions, Salguero adds. The Bills have been mentioned as a suitor, particularly by Von Miller, but the AFC frontrunners — who just passed on adding Christian McCaffrey — but they are not believed to be at the head of the pack here.
Chiefs Emerging As Contender To Land Odell Beckham Jr.?
As his return to full health draws nearer, Odell Beckham Jr.‘s name continues to draw attention. The list of potential suitors for the free agent wideout is likely to start taking shape, and one of the teams recently named as an interested party could be moving to the front of the line.
Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network reports that the Chiefs are “regarded as [a] strong contender” to sign Beckham (Twitter link). He adds that the three-time Pro Bowler remains on schedule with respect to his ACL rehab, which should allow him to see the field in mid-November.
Kansas City was not initially on the radar for a Beckham signing, but the AFC West leaders were named as a landing spot earlier this month. The team’s offseason was marked by the numerous changes made at the WR position after trading away Tyreek Hill. The additions of JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling in free agency, along with Skyy Moore in the draft, gave Patrick Mahomes plenty of new pieces to work with in 2022.
So far, things have gone as well as could be expected for their offense; the Chiefs rank fourth in the NFL with an average of 289 passing yards per game (although tight end Travis Kelce is the leading receiver). The fact that he recently restructured his contract for the second time in 2022 opened up some financial breathing space for Kansas City, and they now sit mid-pack in terms of cap space.
Since his Super Bowl exit, it has been widely expected that Beckham, 29, would reunite with the Rams; alternatively, speculation has linked him to a Buffalo signing, which would once again pair him with Von Miller. However, the Rams’ offer and the Bills’ level of interest have led to a broadening of potential destinations outside those two teams. The effect (if any) that a serious offer from the Chiefs would have on Beckham and the league’s other suitors would be interesting to watch as the countdown to his ultimate decision continues.
OBJ Targeted Michael Gallup-Type Offer From Rams
Odell Beckham Jr.‘s ACL tear sidetracked his free agent market and may well have led the Rams to add Allen Robinson in March. But Beckham remains in the team’s plans. Sean McVay confirmed as much Wednesday.
Beckham, however, voiced frustration with the Rams’ offer(s) to this point. Some clarity came on what type of proposal the eight-year veteran wide receiver sought emerged Thursday, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport noting the UFA pass catcher wanted a Michael Gallup-type deal from the Rams (video link).
Despite tearing an ACL in late December last year, Gallup re-signed with the Cowboys on a five-year, $57.5MM deal featuring $23MM fully guaranteed. Gallup represented Dallas’ Amari Cooper alternate route at receiver; the younger wideout’s deal commenced shortly after the Cowboys traded Cooper to the Browns.
Gallup’s age (26) and lack of a prior history of major injuries separates his case from Beckham’s, even if the latter has proven to be a higher-ceiling player when healthy and in the right situation. Beckham, 30 in November, has sustained two ACL tears since November 2020. That said, Beckham did prove to be a solid investment for the Rams last year. He topped 100 yards in the NFC championship game and was on track to offering similar production before his second-quarter ACL tear in Super Bowl LVI. Beckham hoped the Rams’ faith in him and their familiarity with his injury, as their team doctor performed his surgery, would lead to a Gallup-esque multiyear commitment, Rapoport notes.
The former Giants Pro Bowler seeking a multiyear deal is interesting, considering the injury issue that is currently suppressing his market. Rather than bet on himself producing a late-season run this year and gearing up for potentially a final notable payday in 2023, Beckham looks to prefer a deal that runs beyond 2022 — potentially well beyond this year. Such an agreement would provide security, depending on the structure, for the injury-prone performer. It would also likely produce a lower AAV compared to if he hit the 2023 market healthy. OBJ’s injury past also stands to make teams leery of offering too much at this point.
With this being a rather unusual free agency situation, Beckham should be expected to be a frequent presence in NFL news cycles in the coming weeks. He is still targeting a mid-November return, though a recent report indicated he may not be ready for game action until December.
Rams Notes: OBJ, Injuries, Offensive Line
Odell Beckham Jr. took to Twitter earlier today to express disappointment in the Rams’ latest offer, noting that the front office offered him “the lowest of low offers.” Despite OBJ’s public complaint about negotiations, Rams head coach Sean McVay actually expressed optimism about re-signing the veteran receiver.
“I love Odell. We have constant dialogue,” McVay said today (via The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue). “I think he also knows that certainly I don’t think that’s the last (offer) that will come from us. I’m not familiar with exactly what it is, he knows how we feel about him. We’ve got a little bit of time. Love Odell, nothing but good things coming from me.”
While OBJ has been considering overtures from various teams, the receiver did admit that the Rams “know where [he] wanted to be.” If the organization is willing to extend a bit financially, it sounds like they should have the inside track on signing the wideout.
Beckham Jr. joined the Rams midway through last season and had 305 receiving yards and five touchdowns in eight games. He added another 21 catches in four playoff games, with his postseason ending prematurely thanks to a torn ACL suffered during the Super Bowl. The Rams have continually been connected to the receiver throughout the offseason, even after extending Cooper Kupp and spending on Allen Robinson.
More notes out of Los Angeles:
- Rams wideout Cooper Kupp (foot), defensive tackle Aaron Donald (foot), and tight end Tyler Higbee (ankle) were all held out of practice today. McVay said the three players are dealing with injuries sustained during their Week 5 loss to the Cowboys, but he doesn’t expect the ailments to impact the players’ availability for Sunday’s game against the Panthers (per NFL.com).
- The Rams have yet to find their footing on offense, with the running game struggling in particular. McVay was asked about the team’s struggles so far, and instead of pointing the finger at Cam Akers or Darrell Henderson, he instead attributes the issues to a lack of continuity on the offensive line. “It depends on the types of concepts and things that we’re trying to activate, but we’ve been at our best when there’s an identity but enough versatility to be able to alleviate the stress off of some of your core concepts, and it takes all 11 (players),” McVay said (h/t to John Dillon of The Rams Wire). “It has been a challenge because we’ve never had the same guys up front. We’ve had backs that haven’t really practiced, we’re trying to get a bunch of different things going, all of which is an excuse that just is what I think is for weak-minded people. I’m not going to make them, but we just got to continue to keep swinging and keep plugging along and figure it out because nobody cares and we’ve got to fix it.” The Rams lost another lineman yesterday when they placed guard David Edwards on injured reserve.
- Speaking of running backs, the Rams moved on from RB Jake Funk earlier this week, and the RB has since found a new home on the Saints practice squad. Funk saw time in 10 games with Los Angeles in 2021, mostly appearing on special teams.
Odell Beckham Jr. Addresses Rams’ Offer; Bills Not Serious Suitor?
Now connected to several teams besides the Rams, Odell Beckham Jr. may be opening the door to joining a fourth NFL team. The free agent wide receiver expressed disappointment with the defending Super Bowl champions’ offer.
Responding to a Twitter post, the eight-year veteran said the Rams sent “the lowest of low offers” this year in free agency. In a separate tweet, Beckham said the Rams “know where [he] wanted to be” but noted it might be difficult for him to come back given what the team offered.
The Rams emerged early as the runaway leaders to sign Beckham, but after the team gave Allen Robinson a three-year, $46.5MM deal, those prospects appeared to dim. But all the notable Rams decision-makers said the team still wanted Beckham back. Even after the Rams gave Cooper Kupp a $26.7MM-per-year extension, Kevin Demoff expressed confidence a reunion would commence. As of now, however, Beckham is unsatisfied with what the Rams are willing to pay to complete that reunion.
Although Von Miller continues to drive (circle?) the Beckham-to-Buffalo wagon, the Bills may not be as interested. Categorizing the Beckham-Bills prospect as “smoke,” The Athletic’s Tim Graham notes the team may not be a serious player here. While Graham notes the Bills will inquire, it does not seem like the AFC East favorites are the Beckham frontrunners. The Bills lost Jamison Crowder (fractured ankle) but have since seen Isaiah McKenzie clear concussion protocol. The Bills have also seen early returns on their fifth-round Khalil Shakir investment. Josh Allen’s chemistry with his current crop plays into the unlikelihood a Beckham deal will take place, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com adds.
Miller also connected Beckham to the Buccaneers and Saints, and a subsequent report mentioned the Chiefs and Packers as interested parties. A few of these teams were in on Beckham last year, but the Rams came in late in the process and convinced him to join what turned out to be a Super Bowl-caliber roster. Weeks away from his 30th birthday, the three-time Pro Bowler looms as the top free agent available and a player who could move the needle during this season’s Super Bowl pursuit.
Eager to separate from a Browns situation that proved ill-fitting, Beckham maneuvered his way out of Cleveland and the Giants-constructed five-year, $90MM contract. The Rams won the high-profile midseason pursuit with just a one-year, $1.25MM sum (featuring a collected $3MM incentive package) for a half-season of work. Beckham, who topped 100 yards in the NFC championship game and scored a touchdown in Super Bowl LVI, saw his latest ACL tear hijack his 2022 market. The standout receiver would have been one of this year’s top free agents; instead, he has been rehabbing on his own while waiting for a worthwhile offer.
Beckham is believed to be on track to return at some point in November, which would explain the increased buzz regarding potential landing spots. Eight months after his injury — the marquee performer’s second ACL tear in a 15-month span — Beckham has been cleared for noncontact work. That said, The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue adds December may be a more realistic timetable for a return to game action.
As for the Rams, Robinson’s struggles (12 receptions, 107 yards) may prompt them to increase their offer. Other teams’ interest will naturally affect how Los Angeles plays this as well. Sean McVay has consistently said he would like OBJ back, and his offense has a bigger need at receiver than it did when the team courted him last year. Beckham interest remains, per Rodrigue, who adds a multiyear deal featuring incentives and team flexibility would likely be the play. Would Beckham be willing to tie himself to such a contract now rather than attempting to display health and parlay that form into a 2023 free agency deal?
Latest On Odell Beckham Jr.’s Free Agency
OCTOBER 9: Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that Beckham continues to target a mid-November return. At that point, the trade deadline will have passed, so any club with playoff aspirations that did not satisfy its WR needs via trade will be in the mix. Rapoport suggests that Beckham will be eyeing a multi-year contract, which is the only factor that will limit what is expected to be a significant number of suitors.
In addition to the Bucs, Bills, Rams, and Saints, the Packers and Chiefs may be interested, and in the Charles Robinson piece linked below, the Ravens were also named as a realistic landing spot. Helping Beckham’s cause is the fact that his knee is reportedly much healthier than it was when he signed with the Rams last November, and he has already been cleared for non-contact work.
OCTOBER 6: Shifting briefly into reporter mode, Von Miller revealed at least part of Odell Beckham Jr.‘s free agency itinerary. The future Hall of Fame edge rusher said (via ESPN.com’s Alaina Getzenberg, on Twitter) his former teammate will visit the Buccaneers, Saints and Giants.
Beckham’s Giants visit already commenced, but Jeff Howe of The Athletic described this week’s meeting as a checkup on former teammate Sterling Shepard rather than an official visit with the team (Twitter link). No free agency traction exists between Beckham and the Giants, Howe adds, and Beckham’s New York trip was not reported as an official visit. This is not exactly surprising, considering the Giants’ 2019 trade decision and its status as a rebuilding squad.
Like offseason Saints addition Tyrann Mathieu, Beckham is a New Orleans native. A Saints commitment would also reunite Beckham with LSU and Browns teammate Jarvis Landry, who attempted to recruit his longtime teammate to New Orleans this summer. The Saints restocked their receiving corps this offseason, adding Landry and trading up for Chris Olave. But Michael Thomas is dealing with an injury again — this one a foot ailment — after missing much of the 2020 and ’21 seasons. The Saints also pursued Beckham during his midseason free agency bid last year.
Despite the presences of Pro Bowlers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, the Tom Brady-era Bucs have not hesitated to bolster this position group. Tampa Bay has added Antonio Brown, Julio Jones and Cole Beasley during the superstar quarterback’s tenure. Beasley abruptly reversed course this week, opting to retire. At full strength, the Bucs seemingly would not have a Beckham need. But they have not exactly operated passively at receiver with Brady; the team has also dealt with multiple wideout injuries this season.
Miller concluded his Beckham-related remarks by saying (via Getzenberg, on Twitter), “When it’s time to like get down to business, like we already know where he’s gonna be at. We know. Just in my eyes, I think I know where he’s gonna be at.” Unless Miller can convince his former teammate to trek to Buffalo, this would seem to point to Beckham rejoining the Rams, although Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports believes Miller was suggesting that his longtime friend would indeed be joining the Bills.
The Rams’ re-recruitment of OBJ has bordered on relentless, and with Allen Robinson struggling in his first games with the team and Van Jefferson on IR, Beckham could be a necessary piece for a reigning champion that looked to have its receiver situation sorted out. Though, Jefferson is expected to be back when first eligible. It is likely Beckham will not be ready until at least November, however, with Howe confirming that previously reported timeline remains in place.
Even before Robinson’s early-season woes and Jefferson’s injury, the Rams still courted Beckham. Mutual interest exists regarding a reunion, almost certainly evidenced by Beckham crashing Sean McVay‘s wedding and then being at SoFi Stadium in Week 1 celebrating the Super Bowl LVI banner being raised. Money has been an issue, of course, but the time will soon come for OBJ to make a decision. Teams beyond the NFC South will likely join the Rams in pursuing the talented pass catcher, but the past several months revealed the defending champs will almost certainly stay in the mix until Beckham makes his decision.
Van Jefferson Out For Week 1; Rams Still Waiting On Odell Beckham Jr.
SEPTEMBER 7: The Rams have ruled Jefferson out for their opener against the Bills. The team has Ben Skowronek, 2021 second-rounder Tutu Atwell and rookie UDFA Lance McCutcheon in place as their other Week 1 WR3 options.
SEPTEMBER 6: For a very short span last season, Odell Beckham Jr.‘s signing bumped Van Jefferson down to the Rams’ No. 4 wideout role. Robert Woods‘ ensuing ACL tear kept Jefferson a regular on offense. With both out of the picture, Jefferson would have a clear path to his previous gig.
But Jefferson is still rehabbing from his second offseason knee surgery. The Rams are preparing as if the third-year receiver will not play Thursday night, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com notes. Sean McVay called Jefferson’s early-August surgery minor but did not guarantee he would be ready for Week 1. While Wilson adds Jefferson returning early in the season would not surprise, he is not expected to suit up against the Bills.
Jefferson caught 50 passes for 802 yards and six touchdowns last season. The Florida alum figures to fly under the radar again this year, with Cooper Kupp being extended and Allen Robinson signing. Beckham’s continued place as a Rams free agent target again leaves Jefferson’s WR3 status as tenuous, should the long-connected parties agree to terms again.
“He’s a guy that, in a short amount of time, we were able to develop a really special relationship,” McVay said of Beckham. “I thought he brought a great spark to our team. I thought he played really well. He’s a great teammate. Without a doubt, want to get Odell back here. That’s the goal and continuing to work toward a solution of him re-signing with the Rams.”
The Rams’ Beckham interest is well known, but Wilson adds OBJ is also interested in returning to play for the defending Super Bowl champs. His crashing of McVay’s wedding this summer may have been a decent indicator here. Although Cam Akers commandeered the talented receiver’s Rams number (3), the team has a locker reserved — nameplate and all — for Beckham going into the season, The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue tweets.
Beckham, who averaged 38.7 yards per game with the Browns last season and just 38.1 as a regular-season Ram, came through for his third NFL employer in crunch time. The 29-year-old target’s 113-yard performance in the NFC championship game and 52-yard Super Bowl LVI half — prior to his second ACL tear — did plenty to help Los Angeles to the title. Other teams will surely be monitoring Beckham this season, as he is not expected to be ready to return until October or early November, and there will be — as Jefferson re-emerges — needier teams. It will be interesting what a second straight in-season Beckham market will look like. We do know one team that will absolutely be in the mix.
No Deal Imminent For Odell Beckham Jr.; Rams Still Interested In Reunion
The onset of training camps has brought about another wave of veterans signing new deals, or at least meeting with prospective teams in the hopes of landing a contract. Odell Beckham Jr. is still unlikely to be included in either scenario in the immediate future, but the free agent remains a name worth watching.
Multiple NFC teams have expressed interest in signing the 29-year-old in recent months, and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that he could still have a number of suitors (video link). The Buccaneers expressed interest before signing Julio Jones, and Rapoport “expects” the Packers to still be included among the teams willing to sign him, given the lack of proven options in their re-worked receiving corps.
The landing spot Beckham remains most connected to, though, is Los Angeles. Rapoport adds that the Rams “still have maintained interest” in a reunion as the offseason has progressed. His level of play after joining the team midseason – 593 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 total games – led to the team expressing optimism about a deal being finalized this offseason. The three-time Pro Bowler has reciprocated that desire, but is still not expected to sign with anyone soon.
As he continues to recover from the torn ACL he suffered in the Super Bowl, Beckham won’t be available to play for several weeks to begin the season. That timeframe allows him to approach free agency without the urgency of healthy players, leaving open the possibility that he remains a free agent well into the campaign. On that point, Rapoport adds that nothing is considered “imminent” with respect to a contract being signed this summer.
The Rams still have Cooper Kupp at the top of their WR depth chart, and added Allen Robinson in free agency. The loss of Robert Woods leaves a starting spot available, though, and with over $8MM available in cap space, the team could afford a modest deal for Beckham. As the pool of available free agents continues to shrink, it will be interesting to watch how his market develops over time.
Cowboys Not Looking To Add Veteran WR
James Washington‘s Jones fracture will force him to miss a portion of the regular season, with October likely looming as his earliest return window. Michael Gallup will also not be ready for Week 1. This certainly looks like it will create an uphill battle for the Cowboys, who began this offseason’s wideout trade rush by dealing away Amari Cooper.
For now, at least, the Cowboys are not considering outside options at the wideout spot. Jerry Jones said he is “plenty satisfied” with the roster depth the team holds at this position, adding there is “no urgency” to acquire a veteran, via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Considering where the Cowboys were going into last season, when they trotted out a Cooper-Gallup-CeeDee Lamb trio and Cedrick Wilson as what turned out to be quickly needed insurance, their 2022 outlook seems to warrant additional inspection regarding an outside reinforcement. The team used a third-round pick on South Alabama’s Jalen Tolbert and still has sixth-year wideout Noah Brown. Simi Fehoko, a 2021 fifth-rounder, did not catch a pass in five 2021 games.
Tolbert appears to be the early favorite to start opposite Lamb in Week 1, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News adds. The 15th receiver drafted this year, Tolbert posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons at the Conference USA school and averaged north of 17 yards per catch in each of his final three college seasons. The 6-foot-3 target’s potential readiness aside, the Cowboys — after trading Cooper to the Browns and letting Wilson defect to the Dolphins in free agency — only have two healthy receivers who have caught an NFL pass. Brown (zero career touchdown receptions) has topped out at 16 catches in a season, doing so in 2021. The team does plan to use backup running back Tony Pollard more as a slot receiver this season. Absent a veteran addition, that experiment suddenly appears more relevant.
The receiver market ballooned in the days and weeks after the Cowboys traded Cooper, who was tied to a mostly nonguaranteed $20MM 2022 salary and $40MM combined from 2023-24. (The Browns have since reworked Cooper’s deal, using void years to drop his 2022 cap hit to $4.9MM.) Dallas dealt the four-time Pro Bowler for fifth- and sixth-round 2022 picks. Cooper’s salaries look quite reasonable within the current wideout landscape, one that has seen 10 players top his contract since the March 12 trade.
Former Cowboy Cole Beasley has spoken with multiple teams, and Will Fuller has begun to generate interest. The oft-injured deep threat, however, is not expected to sign until later this month. That would align with Jones’ current timetable. Emmanuel Sanders and T.Y. Hilton are also available, as is Willie Snead, who was in Texas on Tuesday for a workout with Houston. The Texans signed ex-Colt Chester Rogers from that audition. Odell Beckham Jr. is obviously the biggest prize left around, but his timetable does not align with Dallas’. Beckham is not on track to be ready until at least the midseason point, though Pro Football Focus’ Doug Kyed notes the former Pro Bowler is believed to be ahead of schedule. Still, OBJ’s return date has been murky for months now. And the Rams continue to loom as the most likely team to land him.
The Cowboys may have Gallup and Washington back by the time Beckham debuts, but the team looks set to face a challenge in the meantime.