Jan 23, 2022; Tampa, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (3) celebrates after beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a NFC Divisional playoff football game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
NFL: NFC Divisional Round-Los Angeles Rams at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
He returned to the Giants on Thursday 4 years after his last season in a Big Blue uniform and two months after visiting Sterling Shepard (torn ACL) at a Giants facility. He visited the Buffalo Bills on Friday and then the Dallas Cowboys on Monday to round out his itinerary.
Free agent WR Odell Beckham Jr. must now choose where he wants to play next after surveying the field over the weekend. There is one slight problem with OBJ’s signing – he never worked out for any of those teams during his time at each location. He is now ten months into his rehab process after he tore his ACL for the second time in two years. The timetable for his return has changed week after week, so there is a definite risk in an investment for a man looking for a multi-year deal worth North of $20 million.
Here is an outlook at each team and how they match up against each other in the race to sign Odell Beckham Jr.
New York Giants (7-4-1, 3rd in NFC East, 2nd in NFC Wild Card)
I know, I know. Losing to another party in the Odell sweepstakes doesn’t look the best when trying to recruit (28-20 L to Dallas on Thanksgiving). To make matters worse, they just ended their last game in a 20-20 tie against the Washington Commanders. It didn’t change the playoff picture too much for New York as they remain in 6th place in the NFC, holding onto the 2nd Wild Card slot. Luckily for the G-Men, they believed in OBJ when he first came into the NFL.
There has not been a lot of “recruiting” from any Giants personnel. Saquon Barkley said it best when he told reporters “I don’t have to tweet at him” a few weeks ago. “I feel like there’s not really a sales pitch. It’s New York. It’s the Giants.” The appeal seems to be working as Jordan Raanan of ESPN tweeted that he believes that OBJ wants to be a Giant not only because he wants to win in a big market like New York City, but because it can also be a home for his family. Make no mistake about it, the Giants are very much in this race, even if they are not petitioning on social media for his services.
Buffalo Bills (9-3, 1st in AFC East, 1st in AFC)
The dark horse in this race. The Bills have had interests in OBJ with OLB Von Miller leading the charge. These two have had a connection since the two won a Super Bowl together in Los Angeles with the Rams. Ever since he went to the Bills, Miller has been the one trying to recruit the star wideout to Orchard Park, whether it’s on Twitter or even on FaceTime.
On a Twitch stream over the weekend, Miller facetimed Odell to check in on his mate after he completed the tour up North, with OBJ saying “I had the wings, the lemon pepper was good. Everything was good, bro. It was a good visit.”
Miller has been placed on Injured Reserve after he was carted off in week 13 against Detroit with a knee injury. That may affect OBJ’s decision-making oh so slightly, but with a 9-3 record sitting atop of the AFC mountain, Buffalo is a title contender, something that Odell would be happy to be a part of again.
Dallas Cowboys (9-3, 2nd in NFC East, 1st in NFC Wild Card)
Dallas has been making the most noise on the potential for quite some time now. Owner Jerry Jones has gone on record multiple times talking about how great of an addition OBJ would be to the Cowboys offense.
Odell visited Arlington on Monday, with Beckham spotted courtside at the Dallas Mavericks game that evening with Micah Parsons and Travon Diggs. Jones recently said that in terms of acquiring the two-time Pro Bowler, he would “want it to work.” Parsons, Lamb and other players have been the most active on social media in trying to recruit Beckham to Dallas, especially after their Thanksgiving win vs the Giants.
Their recent 54-19 demolition of Indianapolis further solidifies their reputation as one of the top teams in not only the NFC, but in the NFL as a whole. Maybe they don’t really NEED to sign Odell, but imagine adding him to an already solid offensive unit…
Odell Beckham Jr., it’s time to make your decision, and the writing is on the wall. All signs are pointing at the Dallas Cowboys.
