Las Vegas Raiders should stay away from Odell Beckham Jr.

With the Las Vegas Raiders kicking off a new chapter in Sin City, the last thing they need is the drama a player like Odell Beckham Jr. would bring.

The paint isn’t likely dry yet at Allegiant Stadium just off the strip but some popular buzz says the Las Vegas Raiders and Odell Beckham Jr. might be a made-for-TV NFL marriage. For fans, if you think you’ve seen something similar to this, you have. If head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock haven’t learned their lesson yet, then frankly, they aren’t qualified for their positions.

If the Raiders were to go down this road again, consider it organizational malpractice. OBJ being considered only less dysfunctional than Antonio Brown is like saying summers in Arizona are only a little less hot than they are in Nevada. Hot is hot. Beckham is dysfunctional and a fresh start in a city like Las Vegas doesn’t need the circus that the wide receiver always courts.

Mayock doesn’t need this either. The 2020 NFL Draft is deep with wide receivers and Las Vegas picks at No. 12 and 19. Whether they bail on Derek Carr or keep him, they have pass-catching talent available up and down the first round. Frankly, as deep as this class is, they can find quality in later rounds as well.

No one in Raider Nation doubts that Carr — or whoever is calling signals in 2020 and beyond — needs an upgrade at the receiver position. Solid prospects like CeeDee Lamb and Jerry Jeudy are significantly better long term investments than a veteran like Beckham would be.

With the Raiders having two picks in the first round, talk of acquiring a liability like Beckham Jr. should be a non-starter.

Gruden and the Raiders will make a big splash regardless of a flashy name being attached to the 2020 inaugural season in Las Vegas. The Silver and Black had a smart and productive draft in 2019. Mayock has shown his evaluation of talent can produce results in year one. OBJ is a headache this organization just doesn’t need.