Odell Beckham Jr.’s Shocking Power Move Shakes up the NFC and Puts Rams in Position To Follow in Tom Brady’s Footsteps
It finally happened. After days of rumors and discussions on where Odell Beckham Jr. would wind up, he joined forces with the Los Angeles Rams. The former Cleveland Browns wide receiver went unclaimed on waivers and had plenty of suitors, with the Green Bay Packers reported as the other finalist.
Nonetheless, Beckham decided to join the Rams and the lethal passing attack featuring Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Robert Woods.
Ironically enough, Beckham’s shocking decision to head to LA puts Sean McVay’s team even further in position to follow the path that Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers walked during the 2020 NFL campaign.
Odell Beckham Jr. joins the Rams in a stunning move
Beckham had options; that was clear, although nobody mentioned the Rams until Thursday. Until then, the favorites to sign him were the New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks, and the Packers.
However, Beckham surprised everybody by heading West. And no, the Rams really don’t need help on offense. The former Browns wideout signed a one-year deal and should battle Van Jefferson Jr. for the No. 3 wide receiver job in one of the best offenses in the NFL.
Alas, Stafford has enjoyed tons of success since being traded from the Detroit Lions and continues to play at an MVP level. Now, he gets to add Beckham to the mix and the rich keep getting richer in LA.
The Rams can follow the footsteps of Tom Brady and the Buccaneers
The NFC is loaded as it is. The top of the conference is a mess — in a good way — and there are 4-5 teams that can legitimately compete for the No. 1 overall spot.
But, the Rams are doing whatever it takes to ensure home-field advantage by adding Beckham and Von Miller in the span of just two weeks.
Speaking of home-field advantage, the Rams surely have their eyes set on the Super Bowl in LA at SoFi Stadium — where the Rams play home games.
Last season, Brady and the Buccaneers became the first team in NFL history to play the Super Bowl at their own home stadium and the Rams can follow suit.
Through the first nine weeks of the season, the Rams are holding on to the Wild Card spot, unfortunately, due to the emergence of Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals. But, just one separates the Rams from a Wild Card spot to the top spot in the NFC, so there will be a lot of fluidity over the final half of the year.
As everybody knows, things worked out well for the Bucs “hosting” the Super Bowl at Raymond James Stadium. They frustrated Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs en route to the world championship.
Well, the Rams could be the second team to do this, and what a sight it would be, especially in the beautiful, state-of-the-art Sofi Stadium.
The surprising addition of Beckham puts Stafford and McVay right to work
Next up for the Rams is an NFC West clash against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football. Whether or not Beckham plays in that game remains to be seen, although it would be nice to have him on the field.
However, the question of fit is a big one. The Rams have two talented receivers in Kupp and Woods, not to mention a young rising pass-catcher in Jefferson. How he fits will be a major thing to watch, although the addition of the veteran only helps the Rams.
Stafford is right in the NFL MVP conversation and leads the league in passing yards. Kupp leads the entire NFL in receiving yards, receptions, and touchdowns. The rushing attack is working, even with Cam Akers out for the season.
Things are looking bright in LA for the Rams and the chances of playing the Super Bowl in their own stadium just got a major boost with the additions of Beckham and Miller in just a matter of days. Oh yeah, let’s not forget that Miller actively pioneered for the Rams to bring in Beckham.
Well, it happened, and there will be smiles galore in LA.
Stats Courtesy of Pro Football Reference
