At 3-5 on the season, the Seattle Seahawks will get star quarterback Russell Wilson back for their Week 10 outing against the Green Bay Packers. Wilson has missed the past three games due to injury.
Seattle could also have another shot in the arm ahead of that game. Head coach Pete Carroll spoke with reporters on Monday. As with pretty much every team, the question regarding Odell Beckham Jr. came up.
The three-time Pro Bowler was officially released by his former Cleveland Browns team earlier on Monday. Other squads with the cap room can pick OBJ up off waiver ahead of the Tuesday afternoon deadline. Seattle is one of the 11 teams that currently has the room to make said move.
In talking about that, Carroll would not rule out his Seattle Seahawks claiming Beckham Jr. and the $7.25 million it would cost against the cap to do so.
“We’re aware of what’s going on and we’ve been involved to understand it and compete. To know what’s happening. We’ll let you know as soon as it happens,” Carroll told reporters. “I got to wait. So, I didn’t say yes or I didn’t say no. That’s because . . . you’ll see.”
Seattle is 10th on the waiver wire order, directly behind the divisional-rival San Francisco 49ers. Interestingly, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan noted that they would not claim OBJ for “financial” reasons. San Francisco had been among the teams most linked to Beckham Jr. since it became clear Cleveland was going to move off him.
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Odell Beckham Jr. as a fit for the Seattle Seahawks
This would pretty much be Seattle’s way of adding to a position of strength. Even with Geno Smith being forced to start for the injured Wilson over the past three weeks, the likes of D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett continue to perform at a high level. They’ve combined for 80 receptions, 1,159 yards and 11 touchdowns while catching north of 70% of their targets.
One might conclude that Seattle would be better off adding to a lackluster defense or finding more offensive line help in front of Wilson.
That’s until we realize the NFL deadline passed a week ago Tuesday. There’s not many street free agents worth anywhere near the $7.25 million OBJ would cost an acquiring team.
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A move of this ilk could make Seattle pretty darn dangerous as it vies for a wildcard spot down the stretch. Prior to struggles with injuries since the start of the 2020 season, Beckham Jr. was among the most-productive receivers in the NFL. He averaged 77 receptions for nearly 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns from 2014-19.