NFL wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is still recovering from injury, but what teams could be candidates to add him in the middle of the season?
It’s been a whirlwind of a few seasons for Odell Beckham Jr. in the NFL. Despite being just 29 years old with three Pro Bowl appearances, OBJ is on the search for his third team over two seasons and the fourth of his career.
After being released by the Cleveland Browns, signing with the Los Angeles Rams, and winning a Super Bowl, the future is now a bit murky for the former superstar. When healthy, Beckham has proven to be a dynamic receiver. Unfortunately, those opportunities have been short-lived.
Odell Beckham Jr. should have plenty of suitors around the NFL
Beckham’s career has been a bit of a roller coaster. His rookie campaign saw him collect the 2014 Offensive Rookie of the Year award, despite playing just 12 games. Over his first three seasons in the league, OBJ tallied at least 1,300 receiving yards a season with double-digit touchdowns, and during his second and third seasons combined he missed just one game. Then the 2017 season.
In 2017, Beckham suffered a sprained ankle in the preseason. He returned to the team, but later suffered a season-ending ankle fracture, playing just four games that season. He returned to the Giants in 2018, but played just 12 games and was surrounded by drama. A quad bruise late in the season not only ended his 2018 campaign but his career as a New York Giant.
New scenery in 2019 gave hope to Beckham that his career could find traction again with the Cleveland Browns and former college teammate Jarvis Landry. In his first season in Cleveland, Beckham played in all 16 for just the second time in his career and eclipsed 1,000 yards. However, he found the end zone just four times and clearly lacked chemistry with quarterback Baker Mayfield.
A coaching change in Cleveland prior to 2020 again returned hope for OBJ, but a torn ACL in his left knee, the same leg that had the ankle fracture, ended his season in week 8. The Cleveland timeline for OBJ concluded in 2021 when he was released after six games without a touchdown and only 232 receiving yards.
Beckham landed with the Los Angeles Rams and won the Super Bowl, but it came with a cost. In the Super Bowl, OBJ tore the same ACL that he did in 2020 and that brings us to today. A wide receiver who hasn’t found his true footing in a long time and is now often injured.
That isn’t to say he doesn’t have value. Beckham is still only 29 years old and has shown plenty of potential. The injuries are a concern, but once healthy OBJ could still provide use to a team. Given the timeline of the injury, he might not be able to sign until the middle or back half of the season, but what teams could take a flyer on the veteran?
Odell Beckham Jr. Potential Destination #1: Buffalo Bills
Teams that could show an interest in Odell Beckham Jr. during the season are ones that will be in contention. The Buffalo Bills should be at the top of that list. Having made the playoffs four of the last five years, the Bills are ready for a deep run into the playoffs and hopefully a Super Bowl appearance. They have the quarterback and an improved defense but could look to add another weapon.
Stefon Diggs has been a great addition to the Bills prior to the 2020 season. In his first season in Buffalo, he led the league in receptions and receiving yards, but he hasn’t had much of a cast around him. Veteran additions like Cole Beasley and Emmanuel Sanders have done a bit, but Buffalo lacks a strong option opposite Diggs.
There’s potential on the roster with Gabe Davis and Isaiah McKenzie, but should they not pan out the Bills could look for a move during the season. Trades are becoming more common in the NFL during the season, but a cheaper move could be the free agent market.
Von Miller, who won a title with OBJ in LA, has already been working on recruiting Beckham to Buffalo. If Beckham is focused on winning rings and not necessarily money or long-term security, which he likely won’t get anyway due to the injury, then Buffalo makes a lot of sense.
The Bills should let their wide receiver room play out for a bit, but if November rolls around and they see a need for an upgrade, OBJ might be the player to call if he’s cleared to play.
Odell Beckham Jr. Potential Destination #2: Dallas Cowboys
Of the contenders in the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys might be the most wide receiver-needy team at this point. While Dallas still rosters an up-and-coming CeeDee Lamb, the team lost a lot at the position this offseason. Amari Cooper and Cedrick Wilson are no longer in Dallas, Michael Gallup is recovering and free agent addition James Washington appears to be lost for the season.
In addition to Lamb, there isn’t much. An unproven rookie in Jalen Tolbert will have a bigger role than anticipated while Noah Brown and Simi Fehoko could see opportunities. That most likely won’t be enough.
A return to the NFC East could entice OBJ. His opportunities to play against former teams have been few and far between and beating the Giants would surely bring him joy. The only issue is timing.
By the time that OBJ would be healthy to play in Dallas, Gallup should be back. Now, that doesn’t account for the potential of other injuries and the Cowboys lack depth. However, similar to Buffalo, Dallas could need a midseason upgrade that OBJ would easily provide. If there’s a chance that OBJ’s timeline is moved up from what we expect then Dallas could snag him.
Odell Beckham Jr. Potential Destination #3: Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans made quite the gamble this past offseason. Instead of re-signing A.J. Brown to an extension, like most teams with wide receiver contract disputes, the Titans opted to move Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles for a pick that ended up being his replacement in Treylon Burks. Even if Burks has the potential to be Brown, there’s going to be a regression at the position.
The Titans have lost assets continually at the wide receiver position. Last year Julio Jones was brought in to replace an exiting Corey Davis and now Jones is gone as well. While Robert Woods is this year’s addition, Tennessee could be looking for another veteran signing like we saw with Jones a year ago.
If Burks isn’t playing up to the hopes that the front office had when they made the trade, the team could be looking for mid-season reinforcements. There’s potential in younger players, like Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, but a more veteran presence could be the call.
The Titans have pieces in place to compete, but pressure from an improved Indianapolis Colts team within the division could force a move like bringing in OBJ during the season. It will depend on the progression of Burks and the stability of Woods, but Beckham should be on a short list for the Titans during the season just in case.
Odell Beckham Jr. Potential Destination #4: Green Bay Packers
One of the biggest question marks in the NFL this past offseason was Aaron Rodgers. Many thought he would be playing anywhere but Green Bay. Instead, he signed an extension and saw his top target Davante Adams leave town. Now, Rodgers is left in Green Bay searching for a new top weapon to target.
Where the other teams on this list have at least one proven receiver, whether it be Diggs, Lamb, or Woods, the Green Bay Packers are in a near rebuild at the position. Allen Lazard has shown flashes, but hasn’t been tasked with a role like this. Rookies Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs have potential. And veteran Sammy Watkins and Randall Cobb are band-aid fixes at this point.
With so many unknowns, the Packers will need to keep a pulse all season on the wide receiver market. The hope is that at least one, if not more, of these players, can form into a reliable target. They aren’t going to be Davante Adams, but Rodgers will need to throw to someone.
If the Packers don’t like the way the position is unfolding during the season they could opt to explore signing OBJ. Beckham could provide a fix for a short time or at least provide another option on the roster. He doesn’t strike me as a long-term option for the Packers, but he could provide short-term value.
Odell Beckham Jr. Potential Destination #5: Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are in a similar boat to the Green Bay Packers at the wide receiver position, but with a bit better of an outlook. After losing Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs are set to rely on a hodgepodge of talent morphed into a wide receiver room.
JuJu Smith-Schuster was the most intriguing signing for the Chiefs. Still only 25 years old, Smith-Schuster showed flashes in Pittsburgh his first two seasons but fizzled out. He’s surpassed 800 receiving yards just once over the last three years. There could still be plenty of potential here, but that’s a big if for the Chiefs.
They also brought in Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Valdes-Scantling never really caught on in Green Bay. The former fifth-round pick has never reached 700 receiving yards in a season. There’s also Mecole Hardman who has fallen short of expectations.
The Chiefs drafted Skyy Moore out of Western Michigan in the second round, but the fact of the matter is there is a lot of risk and very little certainty at the wide receiver position in Kansas City. If things are not going well out wide for the Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes is going to want an upgrade. A way to do that would be bringing in Odell Beckham Jr.