About that whole Odell Beckham Jr. sweepstakes between the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and Buffalo Bills? It sure the heck looks like nothing will come to fruition on this until the start of NFL free agency in March.
Weeks after visiting with the trio of teams, this three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver remains unsigned. There could be good reason for this.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, “several NFL teams believe Odell Beckham is leaning toward sitting out the rest of the year and gearing up for free agency in March.” As one executive around the league said, “he’ll be the prize” of the free-agent class at wide receiver.
Something seemed to be up on this front when Dallas swiftly transitioned to signing T.Y. Hilton after meeting with OBJ. After that move, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones indicated that Beckham Jr. might not be ready to return to action as he continues to recover from a torn ACL the star receiver suffered when he was a member of the Los Angeles Rams during the Super Bowl this past February.
Related: Top NFL free agents of 2023
Odell Beckham Jr. and the 2023 NFL free agent wide receiver class
There very well could be good reason for Beckham to wait until March. His market will increase a ton and won’t simply be limited to contending teams. And in reality, he’s more likely to secure the long-term contract the receiver seeks.
As for the class at wide receiver, it is seen as relatively weak. Among Sportsnat’s top-25 players, not a single individual at this position made the list. Allen Lazard, Jakobi Meyers and JuJu Smith-Schuster seem to top the list.
With five 1,000-yard receiving seasons under his belt, Beckham Jr. would be the most-accomplished receiver to hit free agency. With that said, his situation is complex in that the former New York Giants first-round pick has struggled to an extent in recent seasons prior to suffering the aforementioned torn ACL.
- Odell Beckham Jr. stats (2020-21): 67 receptions, 856 yards, 8 TD, 53.6% catch rate
As it is, OBJ seems to be prepared to bet on himself once the market opens in March. The good news is that he’ll likely be 100% recovered from the torn ACL after some initial concerns over the receiver’s medicals during his recent free-agent tour.