Odell Beckham Jr. Could Soon Land on a Prolific Offense With Super Bowl Aspirations: ‘Never Say Never’
The drama around star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. finally hit a breaking point as the Cleveland Browns are set to release him. As Beckham nears hitting the open market, Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay stirred the pot concerning a potential push to land the Pro Bowler.
Browns will release Odell Beckham Jr.
Through the first eight weeks of the 2021 season, Beckham dealt with a frustrating experience.
The Pro Bowler worked through injuries while his role within the passing game moved toward becoming a non-factor. In six games played, Beckham recorded 17 receptions on 34 targets for 232 yards with zero touchdowns. It put him on a career-worst pace to finish with 34 receptions for 464 yards.
The situation came to a head after the Week 8 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. It featured him recording only one reception for six yards, marking his lowest production in a single game he played entirely without injury. It quickly led to off-the-field issues as his father went to Instagram to post an 11-minute video of quarterback Baker Mayfield not seeing him or throwing him the ball when he was open.
The Browns then excused Beckham from Wednesday’s practice to talk about his future. Cleveland then announced on Friday that the 28-year-old will be released after the two sides negotiated his $7.75 remaining salary into base salary to make it easier for another team to claim him. The final two years of his five-year, $90 million deal are effectively voided.
Beckham will be waived on Monday and become eligible to be claimed on Tuesday at 4 p.m. E.T. If he goes unclaimed, he will hit free agency and can sign with any team for the veteran minimum. It’s put several potential landing spots on the table, with Rams head coach Sean McVay stirring the pot.
Odell Beckham Jr. could soon land on a prolific offense with Super Bowl aspirations: ‘Never say never‘
The Rams are off to a promising start to the 2021 season, holding one of the league’s best records.
Since McVay became the head coach, the front office has shown no fear in making big-splash moves to elevate the team toward Super Bowl contention. As the news emerged about Beckham‘s impending departure, the former NFL Coach of the Year didn’t exactly shut the door on Los Angeles making a strong push to land the star wideout.
“I would never say never on anything like that,” McVay said via The LA Times. “So, that’s where I’ll leave that.”
Since McVay’s arrival, the Rams have made numerous big-time moves, acquiring the likes of Brandin Cooks, Aqib Talib, Marcus Peters, Ndamukong Suh, Dexter Fowler, Jalen Ramsey, Matthew Stafford, and most recently Von Miller. General manager Les Snead holds no hesitance to take chances on talent if it helps the team vie for the Super Bowl.
The potential of adding Beckham certainly fits that mold, as it would add another significant offensive factor. Stafford may have built tremendously strong connections with Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods, but DeSean Jackson’s departure opens up a spot.
Meanwhile, Miller took to Instagram to make a public pitch to Beckham to join him in Los Angeles. The Rams will undoubtedly go out of their way to give Beckham an extremely stable role within their offense. Ultimately, the opportunity is there if the star wideout wants it.
Odell Beckham Jr. is eyeing joining a playoff contender
As Beckham inches closer toward finding a new NFL home, more details are emerging.
ESPN‘s Adam Schefter is reporting that the star wideout wants to spend the rest of the season with a playoff contender in a “winning environment” that will allow him to be happy and productive. Beckham could be claimed on waivers, but he likely will hit free agency.
The Rams fit the bill as a preferred landing spot, while teams like the Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, and New Orleans Saints could swoop in to land him. Time will tell where Beckham will take the next chapter of his career.
