Three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. of the Cleveland Browns has now officially been placed on waivers. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, other teams can now claim him and the remainder of his $7.25 million salary by Tuesday at 4 PM EST.
Over the course of the past several days, it was clear that Cleveland planned on waiving the embattled pass-catcher. However, the team did not make it official until Monday afternoon.
There’s a lot of different things that go into play here. A team must have that $7.25 million in cap room in order to pick up OBJ off waivers. If he goes unclaimed, the former first-round pick will be free to sign with a team of his choosing as a free agent.
The 29-year-old recorded just 17 receptions for 232 yards while hauling in 50% of his targets in six games with Cleveland. A perceived spat with quarterback Baker Mayfield and some social media activity from his father led to OBJ falling out of favor with the Browns in less than three seasons.
Despite his struggles in Cleveland, Odell Beckham Jr. will be of interest to multiple teams out there. After all, the former LSU standout averaged 77 receptions for nearly 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns from 2014-19.
Related: Ideal Odell Beckham Jr. landing spots
OBJ has made it clear in leaks to the media that he wants to join a contending team. At the very least, a team that could contend into the future. He doesn’t want to head to a rebuild. That pretty much eliminates the Jaguars, Eagles, Panthers, Texans and Washington Football Team.
This is another major aspect to it all. While those 11 teams listed above can claim him with cap room right now, others can create enough room to make a move for him. The Pro Bowler has been linked to the San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks in recent days. Of those three, San Francisco has the highest waiver priority.
It’s going to be rather interesting to see what happens here, as a ton of teams could very well put claims on OBJ. Should that not happen, he’ll be among the most attractive NFL free agents this last in the season in eons. That’s for sure.
Related: Check out Sportsnaut’s NFL Playoff and Super Bowl predictions for 2022