Odell Beckham Jr. - Pro Football Rumors

Latest On OBJ’s Recovery, Free Agency

April 8th, 2022 at 4:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

Odell Beckham Jr. is progressing well after sustaining his second ACL tear in a 15-month span, but the former Pro Bowler is not expected to be available to start the 2022 season, Tyler Dragon of USA Today tweets.

This injury has undoubtedly cooled the veteran wide receiver’s market. The Rams are still a possibility for Beckham, per Dragon, who notes multiple teams are still interested. As other teams fill their receiver needs with less injury-prone talents, OBJ remains a free agent.

The 29-year-old receiver being set to miss the start of next season should not surprise. The 2021 season held the NFL’s first mid-February Super Bowl, and roughly seven months stand between the night of Beckham’s latest tear and Week 1. OBJ was not ready for Week 1 following his 2020 tear, which occurred in early November. While the reserve/PUP list may be where this heads, shelving Beckham for six weeks to start the season, it is too early for such predictions.

The Rams make sense for OBJ to a degree, having traded Robert Woods to the Titans. The defending champions have been in talks with Beckham and were linked to being near a re-signing in March. Allen Robinson has since signed with the Rams, and Van Jefferson could conceivably be the team’s other starter alongside Cooper Kupp. The Patriots looked into Beckham as well, but their trade for DeVante Parker reduces the chances of a partnership.

Dolphins Trade DeVante Parker To Patriots

April 2nd, 2022 at 12:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins are sending DeVante Parker to the Patriots (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Once finalized, the trade will see Parker and a 2022 fifth-round pick go to the Patriots in exchange for a 2023 third-round pick.

Bill Belichick & Co. have done plenty of scouting on Parker, a longtime staple of their AFC East rival. While his career has been up-and-down, his raw talent is undeniable. He’ll provide the Pats with more veteran support in their WR unit, joining a group that also includes Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne, Nelson Agholor, N’Keal Harry, Ty Montgomery, Kristian Wilkerson, and Malcolm Perry.

The Dolphins recent acquisition of Tyreek Hill left Parker without a clearly defined role. In turn, Parker’s camp asked the Dolphins to help him find a better landing spot.

“I am truly grateful to the Dolphins and to coach Belichick and [owner] Bob Kraft in their efforts to make this happen,” said Parker’s agent, Jimmy Gould. (Twitter link via Rapoport).

The Dolphins, meanwhile, have bolstered their already impressive stockpile of draft ammo. Even after the Hill blockbuster, they still have two first-round picks, a second-round pick, and, now, two third-round picks in next year’s draft.

The Patriots will assume the balance of Parker’s contract – a $5.65MM base salary in 2022 (with $500K in per-game bonuses) and $5.7MM in 2013 (also with $500K in per-game roster bonuses). However, he’s not owed any guaranteed money, so the Patriots can cut ties whenever they’d like. As Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets, New England was very thorough in its search for a wide receiver, and even had exploratory talks with Odell Beckham Jr. The Pats were also interested in OBJ after he was cut by the Browns in November.

Parker, a 2015 first-round pick, showed serious promise in 2019 with 72 catches, 1,202 yards, and nine touchdowns that year. He hasn’t done nearly as much since, especially following the emergence of Jaylen Waddle last year. In 2021, Parker finished with just 40 grabs for 515 yards and two TDs.

OBJ Would Consider Browns Reunion

March 23rd, 2022 at 6:57pm CST by Ben Levine

Could Odell Beckham Jr. return to Cleveland? According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, OBJ “is open to the possibility” of signing with the Browns. However, it’s uncertain if the Browns would have interest in a reunion.

Yesterday, Beckham responded to a tweet asking about his interest in joining the Browns, stating “that’s an interesting one.” Per Cabot, OBJ only wanted to move on from the Browns once his relationship with quarterback Baker Mayfield “reached the point of no return,” and the veteran “loved his teammates and Browns fans.” As Cabot notes, OBJ does have fans in owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam, and he still “has the full support of his former Browns teammates.”

In a world where OBJ does return to Cleveland, he’d be re-joining a completely revamped offense. Deshaun Watson is now under center, and while Jarvis Landry won’t be back, the Browns upgraded to Amari Cooper. Beckham would surely have a significant role in the Cleveland offense despite his inconsistent two-plus seasons with the organization.

OBJ joined the Rams after getting let go by the Browns, and he proceeded to haul in 27 receptions for 305 yards and five touchdowns in eight games (seven starts) down the stretch. He hauled in another two touchdowns in the playoffs before suffering a knee injury during the Super Bowl.

Rams GM Les Snead Discusses OBJ, Aaron Donald

March 22nd, 2022 at 5:11pm CST by Ben Levine

The Rams have reshuffled their receivers depth chart this offseason, but that hasn’t changed their views on Odell Beckham Jr.. Rams general manager Les Snead told reporters today that the team would still like OBJ back in Los Angeles for the 2022 campaign.

“He’s someone that we definitely want back,” Snead said (via AP’s Greg Beacham on Twitter). “A little bit more complex situation based on the injury. We envision it being similar but different circumstances to last year. When Odell is ready to play, we’d appreciate him being part of (the Rams).”

The Rams had previously made it clear that they wanted OBJ back, and the player also expressed interest in returning to the team. As a result, a new contract was “expected to happen,” but nothing has materialized in two weeks. Another report indicated that the Rams were staying flexible with respect to contract offers, so perhaps a deal is only a matter of time.

OBJ joined the Rams midseason and ended up having a standout performance for his new team, posting 48 catches for 593 yards and seven touchdowns between the regular season and playoffs before a knee injury knocked him out of the Super Bowl. Since the season ended, the Rams added Allen Robinson to their squad while shipping out veteran Robert Woods.

Meanwhile, Snead acknowledged that extension talks with Aaron Donald are “still in progress,” per Michael J. Duarte on Twitter. The defensive tackle waged a holdout in 2017 and later landed a then-record-breaking extension. Naturally, Donald’s $22.5MM-per-year deal has since been dwarfed. Donald’s age and the state of the market makes this contract issue understandable, and it may have factored into the surprise retirement talk.

Latest On Rams’ Pending Free Agents

March 10th, 2022 at 1:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

If the Rams hope to repeat as Super Bowl champions, they face a number of key decisions in the coming days. They have money still to be shed, but a number of free agents left to re-sign.

The biggest names amongst said free agents are Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr. The former made an impact on the Rams’ defense after being traded for mid-season. He registered five sacks in eight regular season games in L.A., adding another four in the playoffs. The 32-year-old earned himself a hefty payday, regardless of where he ends up.

According to Jordan Rodrigue of The Athletic (subscription required), the Rams may be able to keep both in the fold. She writes that the team is “confident” their offer to Miller “will be enough to convince him to stay”. She adds that said proposal is thought to be worth between $14MM and $16MM per year over a span of “perhaps” two years, though that salary figure “doesn’t seem to have a hard ceiling”. The three-time All Pro has expressed an interest in staying, but he also plans to at least test the open market, which could very well include a return to Denver.

As for Beckham, Rodrigue notes that the team is staying flexible with respect to contract offers, though it does seem inevitable he will remain there, as was previously reported. She names center Brian Allen as one more significant pending free agent the Rams could try to find the money to retain.

On the other hand, there are noteworthy players who seemed destined to land deals elsewhere, in no small part as a result of the team’s preference to keep Miller and Beckham. Among those Rodrigue predicts will find new homes is defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day. The 26-year-old played a career-high 69% of snaps this year, notching three sacks. Another is cornerback Darious Williams, whom she reports could land a deal valued at upwards of $10MM per season despite a down year in 2021.

Projected to be more than $20MM over the cap at this point, the Rams clearly have work to do. If all goes according to plan, however, they could still field one of the most talented teams in the NFL next year.

Odell Beckham Jr. Expected To Re-Sign With Rams

March 7th, 2022 at 9:58am CST by Adam La Rose

Odell Beckham Jr. played a major role in the Rams’ Super Bowl run, leading to a mutual interest between himself and the team for a return to L.A. According to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network, a new contract is “expected to happen”.

The news comes after the wideout expressed a desire to remain with the Rams, where he quickly found his form after a messy split with the Browns. He said Los Angeles “feels like home” in large part, no doubt, to his production filling in for the injured Robert Woods. Between the regular season and playoffs, Beckham posted 48 catches for 593 yards and seven touchdowns.

That level of play – cut short by a torn ACL suffered in the Super Bowl – has led to interest from the team’s perspective in a reunion. General manager Les Snead recently stated he would “definitely like” to keep the 29-year-old. Doing so would be tricky from a financial perspective, given the team was slated to be over the cap before the offseason began. An extension for quarterback Matthew Stafford would help open the door to keeping Beckham, though other changes are expected for the defending champions.

If he were to stay, Beckham would join Woods and Cooper Kupp to give L.A. arguably the most talented receiving trio in the league. While questions would linger about Woods and Beckham regarding their recoveries from major injuries, a healthy pass-catching corps of that caliber would give the team a chance to replicate at least the offensive output that helped earn them a title.

Rams Remain Interested In Re-Signing Odell Beckham Jr.

March 3rd, 2022 at 4:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Odell Beckham Jr. recently underwent surgery to repair his second ACL tear in 15 months. The injury-prone wide receiver is less than two weeks from free agency, but he and the Rams were interested in continuing their partnership before Super Bowl LVI.

The second-quarter injury stands to affect Beckham’s market, considering he tore the ACL in the same knee with Cleveland in 2020. But the Rams remain interested in re-signing him. Les Snead said the team would “definitely like” to have OBJ back, via The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue (subscription required). Although the 11th-year GM said adjustments would need to be made at wide receiver due to Beckham and Robert Woods‘ injury recoveries, the team is willing to make it work.

“I really love him, I cherish our relationship that we were able to establish and develop, and I’m hopeful that there will be many more years working together,” Sean McVay said during an interview with CBS Sports’ Adam Schein (audio link). “… I hated to see him go down. I really believe he was in store for going absolutely bananas in the Super Bowl. Our guys delivered, but Odell’s somebody we want to continue to work with.”

Beckham said he would take less to stay in Los Angeles, and the team’s plans for a Matthew Stafford extension would free up some cap space. Of course, Von Miller probably resides as a higher priority due to his dominant playoff performance. Miller has also said he wants to stay in L.A., but the future Hall of Famer will explore free agency before committing to stay with the defending champions.

If Beckham re-signs, the Rams would be poised to deploy a three-wideout set of OBJ, Woods and Cooper Kupp. That trio never played together; Woods suffered an ACL tear days after the Rams signed Beckham in November. Beckham’s price then becomes interesting due to Woods being tied to a $16.25MM-per-year deal; Kupp’s $15.75MM-AAV pact now looks extraordinarily team-friendly. Kupp’s deal might become an issue either this year or next, given his historic 2021 season.

The Rams are more than $20MM over the projected 2022 cap. Once they move under, the perennial star-seeking team figures to say goodbye to more role players. Starting O-linemen Austin Corbett and Brian Allen are set for free agency, as is swing tackle Joe Noteboom. No. 2 cornerback Darious Williams is set to hit the market as well.

Latest On WR Odell Beckham Jr.

February 20th, 2022 at 9:39pm CST by Ely Allen

Recent Super Bowl LVI champion Odell Beckham Jr. is facing free agency this offseason. Beckham has expressed his desire to remain in Los Angeles and the Rams let it be known that the feeling was mutual.

Unfortunately, Beckham suffered a torn ACL in the Rams’ Super Bowl victory. The knee injured was the same one Beckham injured in the 2020 season. The re-injury combined with the late timing of the injury should lead to Beckham missing time in the 2022 NFL season.

Normally, a player with an expiring contract like Beckham’s would be out of luck, as they wouldn’t be eligible for injury protection. But, due to pending arbitration between the league and the union, Beckham may end up qualifying for the protection.

The Collective Bargaining Agreement provides injury protection for players with non-guaranteed salaries in the season after they suffer an injury that prevents them from playing. When Beckham was injured, although he was technically headed to free agency, he had future years on his contract.

The purpose of the future years was to spread out Beckham’s cap hit. He signed a fully guaranteed one-year deal for $1.25MM. The contract would be paid out as a base salary in 2021 of $750,000 with a $500,000 signing bonus. The signing bonus was structured to pay out $100,000 annually over the next five years. The first $100,000 would count against the Rams’ 2021 cap along with the base salary. The remaining $400,000 would count against the Rams’ 2022 cap space.

The arbitration mentioned above is over whether or not those voided years in Beckham’s contract could make him eligible for the CBA’s injury protection. The injury protection would entitle Beckham to a salary up to $2MM. In the voided contract, Beckham’s base salary for 2022 is $1.12MM, meaning that, if the arbitration rules in favor of Beckham, Beckham will receive the entirety of that amount.

The good news is that, even if the arbitration rules against him, Beckham’s 2021 contract had $3MM worth of team-based incentives built in, and, en route to winning the Super Bowl, Beckham cashed in on every single incentive.

Still, this all is hypothetical. In theory, knowing the Rams would like to keep Beckham in LA, and acknowledging the crucial role he played in adding the Lombardi to their trophy room, the Rams will give Beckham a deal indicative of his contributions, despite not being legally obligated to do so.

Odell Beckham Jr. Suffered Torn ACL In Super Bowl

February 14th, 2022 at 2:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

When Odell Beckham Jr. exited the Super Bowl with an apparent knee injury, it may have been the last time in a while he gets seen on an NFL field. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, he suffered a torn ACL in the game (Twitter link).

The ACL tear is in his left knee, the one that suffered the same fate in the middle of the 2020 season. It is devastating news, given the success he was having not only in the Super Bowl, but his time with the Rams as a whole. After a messy divorce from the Browns, Beckham seemed to have found a home in L.A. as a complimentary piece to the Rams’ passing attack.

After signing with the Rams in November, the 29-year-old posted five touchdowns in eight regular season games with his new franchise. Then, he settled in during the postseason, and seemed to be on his way to a big night on Sunday with two catches for 52 yards and one touchdown before halftime. Those numbers brought his yards per catch average up to 13.7 for the playoffs, which is nearly on par with his average during his heyday with the Giants.

In the days leading up to the big game, Beckham expressed a desire to stay with the Rams. For that to be possible, he would need to take a discount, as the team is already scheduled to be $14MM over the cap before signing new deals with the likes of Beckham or fellow mid-season acquisition and close friend Von Miller.

Much of what both sides do now may depend on the health of Robert Woods, who himself suffered a torn ACL this season. If both he and Beckham are able to fully recover, and the latter does indeed stay in L.A., they would form quite the receiving trio alongside Cooper Kupp. Today’s news, though, may cast doubt on the chances of that happening.

Rams Expect To Re-Sign WR Beckham

February 13th, 2022 at 8:43pm CST by Ely Allen

Earlier today before Super LVI began, Chris Mortensen of ESPN reported that the Rams are extremely optimistic about bringing wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. back on a new deal next season. If the Rams pull out a Super Bowl victory tonight, Beckham will max out the $3MM incentives attached to his current contract, but Los Angeles is adamant that it won’t be his last check from them.

Beckham was brought in on a one-year free agent deal after a bit of a forced release from the Browns. The Rams were happy to have Odell come in to fill the gap left on the depth chart by a season-ending injury to Robert Woods. Since joining the Rams, Beckham has seen a resurgence to his career as his five regular season touchdowns in eight games with Los Angeles are the most in a season for him since he played for the Giants.

Sean McVay and team brass see him as an ideal fit. Alongside 2021 Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Kupp and big-play receiver Van Jefferson, Beckham offers impact, explosiveness, and plenty of touchdowns. Once Woods rejoins the corps, opposing defensive backs will have their work cut out for them.

As of the writing of this post, Beckham is currently sitting on the sideline with an injury, watching the Rams try to make a comeback and win the Lombardi Trophy. The three-time Pro Bowler exited the game after a non-contact injury left him clutching his left knee, the same knee in which he tore his ACL in 2020.

The hope is that this injury will have no effect on today’s report. Hopefully, whatever has befallen Beckham tonight allows him to return to the field next season, and his marriage to the Rams can remain on schedule.