After months of speculation where star wideout Odell Beckham Jr. would find a home has been answered in resounding fashion. On Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens announced that OBJ has indeed signed a deal valued up to $18 million, with $13.8 of the tender guaranteed. Not bad for one year of work! The deal, according to reports, includes a $1.2 million salary with the remainder packaged as a signing bonus. The deal also includes nearly $3 million in available incentives.
In recent months, Odell Beckham Jr. has entertained several situations which includes the Dallas Cowboys. The holdup or hesitation around the league was the stability of the wideouts knee. OBJ hasn’t played a snap in the NFL since tearing his ACL in the SuperBowl with the Los Angeles Rams in the 2021 season. OBJ chose to sit out of the 2022 season to rehab and get his body into game ready shape.
The signing of Odell Beckham Jr. by the Ravens instantly improves the team’s odds of not only winning the AFC, but making it all the way to the big show by nearly 30%. Beckham will join a young roster of wide receivers that include Nelson Agholor, Rashod Bateman, and the University of Texas star Devin Duvernay.
Odell Beckham Jr., a perennial three-time Pro-Bowler and Super Bowl Champion will bring much needed experience to the offensive side of the ball. Only 30-years old, Beckham is reportedly in the best condition of his life. From all reports, Beckham is fully healed from the ACL, and has regained full agility enabling him to make cuts and run routes with more precision than before. Talking about Scary!
With the offense in place, there is only one question that remains regarding the Ravens; who will be under center when the season begins? As the trade deadline came and went, the Ravens and franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson stood at a stalemate with no agreement on a contract. The impasse on a deal is reportedly the amount of guaranteed money Mr. Jackson wants, and the amount the organization wants to spend. The Ravens applied the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson in March, making him available to negotiate with any team in the league. So far, no legitimate offers have been made to Jackson, leaving many to wonder if he will be on the field at season start.
There is a positive. With the signing of Odell Beckham Jr. on Sunday, the chances that Lamar Jackson will commit to play for the Ravens this year has just improved by 150%. Lamar Jackson just might play this season out and worry about a contract at the end of the year when he will become an unrestricted free agent. Sounds like a win, win situation for Lamar Jackson.
By all indications, it seems like Lamar Jackson is excited by the acquisition by the Ravens and took to social media to prove it. The City of Baltimore, the Ravens organization, and the League are ecstatic over OBJ’s new landing spot! However, the rest of the AFC should be shaking in their boots! No matter who the quarterback is, Odell Beckham Jr. will be a HUGE problem for defenses across the league.
