Odell Beckham Jr. #3 of the Los Angeles Rams participates in warmups prior to a game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
Unlike the NBA, the NFL is not a league where midseason acquisitions have typically swung the title picture drastically. Very rarely have teams won the Super Bowl due to a blockbuster trade or midseason signing that pushed them over the top, though there have been exceptions. In 2021, the Los Angeles Rams were that exception, trading for Von Miller and signing Odell Beckham Jr. in November to give them two All-Pro talents that paid dividends in the postseason to deliver them a championship.
Now, in the middle of the 2022 season, it appears Beckham could once again be the piece that tilts the Super Bowl odds in favor of one team, with the veteran wide receiver gearing up to sign with a team in the next couple of weeks, presumably one that is in contention. If Beckham is healthy and still has juice in the tank, he is still one of the hardest receivers to cover in the NFL, which he proved once joining the Rams after his disastrous stint with the Cleveland Browns.
There will be no shortage of suitors for OBJ’s services, with a handful of contenders lurking as ideal landing spots for his services. Here are six teams that would make sense for the eccentric wide receiver to consider signing with for the home stretch of the season.
Los Angeles Rams
At this current juncture, signing with the Rams would have more to do with Odell wanting to stay in Los Angeles and near his newborn son than being the right football situation for him. Last season, when OBJ signed with the Rams midseason, they were clearly one of the elite teams in the NFL, with star power on both sides of the ball and enough friends (Von Miller, Jalen Ramsey, Aaron Donald) to make him feel at home. Fast forward a year later, Miller is gone, the offensive line is depleted and the Rams look far from a Super Bowl contender. It’s clear as day that he compliments Cooper Kupp extremely well, and is the dynamic receiver this offense needs to help open the field up but with a shaky offensive line, it might not be in his best interest to play here this season.
New York Giants
Oh, how sweet it would be to see Odell Beckham Jr. back in the place that was home to the peak of his dominance. With a new general manager and head coach, these aren’t the same old dysfunctional Giants Odell left in 2018. This franchise is building a culture and sitting at 6-1, Odell would be joining a team that will likely end up in the playoffs barring a collapse. Odell only reached the playoffs once during his tenure with the Giants. The reunion would be fun from a feel-good standpoint but the Giants actually need Odell. Their receiving core has been depleted all season to the point where practice squad players are getting consistent game reps and targets weekly. Even coming off an ACL injury, Odell can walk into a situation where he can be the No.1 targeted receiver every week. With Mike Kafka calling plays, Saquon Barkley finally back to himself and a newly-improved Daniel Jones, there’s a lot of potential with the Giants offense and signing Odell could boost their chances at winning a playoff game and building for the future.
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys for the second consecutive season are proving to be one of the NFC’s elite teams, holding a 5-2 record after seven games. But unlike last season, their offense has not been the catalyst for their success, ranking 27th in passing yards per game and 22nd in scoring offense. Part of those struggles can be attributed to Dak Prescott missing five games with a thumb injury, but with the loss of Amari Cooper in the offseason, it’s clear the Cowboys need some help at wide receiver next to CeeDee Lamb. Jerry Jones has never been one to shy away from swinging for the fences, especially with big-name star players, regardless of their history. In this particular instance, signing OBJ would actually make sense for the Cowboys, solidifying their offense with a dynamic playmaker on the outside, who also brings championship pedigree, something the Cowboys have mostly lacked this millennium.
Baltimore Ravens
Similar to the Giants situation, the Baltimore Ravens have a weak receiving core. Despite Mark Andrews being one of the top tight ends in the league, Lamar Jackson has yet to really have that wideout weapon that can get open consistently for him. Baltimore currently ranks 26th in passing yards and yes, they’ve always prided themselves on the run but you can get more production in the air with a quarterback as good as Lamar Jackson. The lack of a good receiving core has been a consistent theme throughout Lamar’s career and while Odell won’t save that narrative completely, he would certainly at least provide some help to the Ravens offense. We can’t assume the Odell we’re getting is going to be prime Odell but you have to believe he can provide a little bit more than DeSean Jackson, Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay and Demarcus Robinson.
Buffalo Bills
Much like how the Rams made perfect sense on paper for OBJ last season, the Bills fit that bill this season. Von Miller is in the fold, and has been recruiting OBJ to join him from the moment he signed in Buffalo. Add in the fact that All-Pro receiver Stefon Diggs has also started to publicly show love to OBJ in interviews and social media, and this could be a match made in heaven. The Bills already have Diggs and Gabriel Davis who form one of the elite receiving tandems in the NFL, but adding OBJ would make an already potent passing attack virtually unstoppable with Josh Allen at the helm. The Bills are seen as the Super Bowl favorites by many already this season, serving as a key piece for a second Super Bowl run would just add another legacy boost to OBJ’s impressive resume.
Kansas City Chiefs
Do the Chiefs desperately need Odell like some other teams on this list? Not really. They’re the second best passing offense in the league behind the Bills and are fresh off a 44-point performance where Pat Mahomes threw for 423 yards but there’s whispers of the Chiefs being a top destination for OBJ. Travis Kelce recently restructured his contract to open up room for the Chiefs to make a move. He then went on his podcast with his brother Jason Kelce and hinted that the move could lead to the Chiefs signing the former All-Pro. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire as later that day, a report came out that the Chiefs were strong contenders for Odell.
Focusing on football, Odell with a quarterback like Pat Mahomes would be trouble especially with an offense that has been clicking already. He may not be on the level of a Cooper Kupp or Tyreek Hill anymore but in this offense, Odell can shine and also take his time to get back to himself for the playoff run.