The Odell Beckham Jr. situation is complicated. Despite still being one of the most-talented wide receivers in the NFL, he remains on the free-agent market as training camps get going.
OBJ suffered a torn ACL in the Los Angeles Rams’ Super Bowl win over the Cincinnati Bengals. He’s likely going to miss a vast majority of the 2022 regular season due to said injury.
With that said, there’s going to be a strong market for his services among contending teams leading up to Week 1. We’re talking about a three-time Pro Bowl performer who showed out for the Rams prior to going down to injury last season. Below, we look at four ideal free-agent landing spots for Odell Beckham Jr.
Related: Updated 2022 NFL power rankings heading into training camp
Las Vegas Raiders bring Odell Beckham Jr. to Sin City
Las Vegas’ acquisition of star wide receiver Davante Adams changed the dynamics for this team big time. Recently-extended quarterback Derek Carr has himself a shiny new weapon. Adams will team up with Josh Jacobs, Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller to form a solid foursome of skill-position players for the Raiders.
In no way does this mean kicking the tires on OBJ won’t be in the cards. Right now, Demarcus Robinson is set to be the Raiders’ No. 2 outside receiver. He might be pretty solid in that role. But bringing Beckham in for the stretch run could help Vegas as it looks to improve off last season’s surprise playoff appearance.
Related: 2022 NFL Playoff and Super Bowl predictions
Green Bay Packers provide Aaron Rodgers with top target
Green Bay lost both Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling this offseason. Right now, Aaron Rodgers would rely on Allen Lazard to be his No. 1 receiver. Rookie Christian Watson and veterans Randall Cobb as well as Sammy Watkins round out the top four. That’s not an ideal scenario for a Packers team with Super Bowl aspirations.
- Odell Beckham Jr. stats (2021): 44 receptions, 537 yards, 5 TD, 54% catch rate
While OBJ’s stats were not great last season, it must be noted that he was dealing with some major drama in Cleveland ahead of a move to the Rams. Catching passes from one of the top quarterbacks in modern NFL history could help him turn this thing around.
Los Angeles Rams bring back Odell Beckham Jr.
The defending champs prepared for OBJ’s departure when they signed Allen Robinson in free agency. In no way does this mean the team is closing the door on Beckham Jr. returning.
“Oh, of course. I really want Odell back on our team. He’s a guy that, in a short amount of time, we were able to develop a really special relationship. I thought he brought a great spark to our team. I thought he played really well. He’s a great teammate.”
Los Angeles Rams’ Sean McVay on potential odell beckham jr. return, via NFL Media
Even with record-setting wide receiver Cooper Kupp and Robinson on the team, there’s no reason to believe Los Angeles wouldn’t welcome OBJ back. It would be all about the price point for a team that continues to spend the big bucks.
San Francisco 49ers add Odell Beckham Jr. to the mix
San Francisco is still scouring the free-agent market for veterans at wide receiver. Most recently, that includes DeSean Jackson. Now that the Deebo Samuel drama has quieted down to an extent, this is a possibility general manager John Lynch and Co. could consider with training camp upon us.
Second-year quarterback Trey Lance will take over for Jimmy Garoppolo under center. He has legit targets in Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and tight end George Kittle. Even then, adding someone like OBJ could end up being a boon.
San Francisco was close to acquiring OBJ before he was traded from the Giants to the Browns ahead of the 2019 season. The team had interest in him when he was waived by Cleveland this past season. There’s certainly a fit with Aiyuk and/or Samuel able to play the slot.