Odell Beckham Jr.‘s ACL tear sidetracked his free agent market and may well have led the Rams to add Allen Robinson in March. But Beckham remains in the team’s plans. Sean McVay confirmed as much Wednesday.
Beckham, however, voiced frustration with the Rams’ offer(s) to this point. Some clarity came on what type of proposal the eight-year veteran wide receiver sought emerged Thursday, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport noting the UFA pass catcher wanted a Michael Gallup-type deal from the Rams (video link).
Despite tearing an ACL in late December last year, Gallup re-signed with the Cowboys on a five-year, $57.5MM deal featuring $23MM fully guaranteed. Gallup represented Dallas’ Amari Cooper alternate route at receiver; the younger wideout’s deal commenced shortly after the Cowboys traded Cooper to the Browns.
Gallup’s age (26) and lack of a prior history of major injuries separates his case from Beckham’s, even if the latter has proven to be a higher-ceiling player when healthy and in the right situation. Beckham, 30 in November, has sustained two ACL tears since November 2020. That said, Beckham did prove to be a solid investment for the Rams last year. He topped 100 yards in the NFC championship game and was on track to offering similar production before his second-quarter ACL tear in Super Bowl LVI. Beckham hoped the Rams’ faith in him and their familiarity with his injury, as their team doctor performed his surgery, would lead to a Gallup-esque multiyear commitment, Rapoport notes.
The former Giants Pro Bowler seeking a multiyear deal is interesting, considering the injury issue that is currently suppressing his market. Rather than bet on himself producing a late-season run this year and gearing up for potentially a final notable payday in 2023, Beckham looks to prefer a deal that runs beyond 2022 — potentially well beyond this year. Such an agreement would provide security, depending on the structure, for the injury-prone performer. It would also likely produce a lower AAV compared to if he hit the 2023 market healthy. OBJ’s injury past also stands to make teams leery of offering too much at this point.
With this being a rather unusual free agency situation, Beckham should be expected to be a frequent presence in NFL news cycles in the coming weeks. He is still targeting a mid-November return, though a recent report indicated he may not be ready for game action until December.
I wouldn’t pay OBJ anything more than the veteran minimum plus incentives this year – as 30 year olds with three ACL tears (two in the same knee) aren’t worth a big money gamble.
That’s a fine stance to take, but WRs are so in demand and the upside gamble of what he can do—even just in his time on the Rams—is valuable enough that someone will bet a lot more than that. Robinson got $30 million in guarantees coming off his worst season at 29 with injury troubles. Gallup got $23 million in guarantees WHILE injured and he’s never been that guy. You may not see value in the gamble, and you might be right, but if you’re a win-now team that doesn’t trust its receiving group, there’s an easy argument that the payout is worth a much bigger gamble than you’re willing to make.
Lol…. Not even in fantasy!
he’ll ultimately have to settle for 1 year 8 mil if he wants to play this season
a 5 year 50 million dollar deal is pretty good, but the rams simply don’t need obj
Rams have 7mm cap space and 2.3mm over the cap for next season. Now we know that cap is a line easily maneuvered but don’t see that pay day specially the guarantees part. Sorry Odell the injury did hurt chances of getting paid
The Rams are exempt from the salary cap.
So are the Bucs.
You were expected to read that memo. Compliance will be in touch.
I think the Rams need to get their offensive line right so badly that nothing else feels like a serious need.
The only team who should take a chance of OBJ is a team who already knows it’s playoff bound with a chance to advance. Unclear who might be needing another WR2 at the end of the season (Beckham is no longer WR1 material).
Jaguars should pounce
Any other player would of took a 1 year deal. Then got themselves healthy. Then proved again why they are worth so much money playing the game.
That was his idea in 2021 before injuring himself in the SB
We all need to dream. Him getting any kind of deal like that with his injury history is ludicrous. Loads of talent 6 games a year.