Many teams are after the services of the three-time Pro Bowl WR, who has been a free agent since winning a Super Bowl with the Rams last season. Boardroom explores which might be the best fit.
It’s been almost nine months since Odell Beckham Jr. tore his ACL in Super Bowl LVI, and now he’s almost ready to get back on the field and help a potential playoff contender.
Even though he probably isn’t a WR1 at this stage of his career, several teams can use a guy like OBJ. He proved he can be a complimentary piece alongside star receivers, fitting in just fine with an offense dominated by Cooper Kupp last season. And now that the trade deadline is over, teams around the league will covet a currently unsigned OBJ.
But are there any specific teams he’s got his eyes on in particular? In talking with Complex recently, the 30-year-old mentioned four teams that might be on the table: Bills, Giants, Cowboys, and Packers.
OBJ earned $1.25 million with the Rams last season, and they regrettably didn’t bring him back when he hit the free-agent market. Spotrac projects his market value to be somewhere around the two-year, $26.4 million range, which should be attainable for teams willing to go all-in.
So, where does the three-time Pro Bowl wideout fit most out of those aforemention four teams? Boardroom evaluates.
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Buffalo Bills: Good Fit
Despite sitting at the top of the AFC East with a 6-2 record, the Bills really don’t have a WR2 to alleviate some pressure off of Josh Allen while opening up the field for WR1 Stefon Diggs. There was already some speculation before the season that OBJ would join the Bills, and at this point, he can be considered a need — not a want — in Buffalo.
The offense is doing just fine, but the drop-off after Diggs is alarming.
| Player | Rec | TGTS | YDS/G | FD |
| Stefon Diggs | 60 | 83 | 107.1 | 39 |
| Devin Singletary* | 27 | 35 | 25.9 | 13 |
| Isaiah McKenzie | 20 | 30 | 26 | 11 |
| Dawson Knox* | 20 | 27 | 26.1 | 10 |
| Gabe Davis | 18 | 38 | 64.4 | 14 |
* Indicates a non-WR
Adding to this, Diggs sent out a cryptic tweet, perhaps alluding to a potential OBJ signing.
New York Giants: MAKE IT HAPPEN
The Giants are right there with the best of them, sitting only two games out from the first-place Eagles. Despite their surprising success, they’re a bottom-five passing team without one single standout receiver. They’re averaging just 159.1 pass yards per game, good for 29th in the NFL, with only six passing touchdowns this year, tied for the fewest in the league.
In the Bills’ case, at least they have a WR1. The Giants need someone — anyone — to help Daniel Jones.
| Player | Rec | TGTS | YDS/G | FD |
| Saquon Barkley* | 28 | 35 | 23.6 | 4 |
| Richie James | 20 | 26 | 23.9 | 9 |
| Darius Slayton | 16 | 24 | 33.1 | 14 |
| Daniel Bellinger* | 16 | 18 | 21.7 | 10 |
| Sterling Shepard | 13 | 24 | 51.3 | 4 |
Beyond the fact of the matter on the field, there’s a certain level of camaraderie and swagger that OBJ can bring back to MetLife. He was, and seemingly still is, a fan favorite and what better way to capitalize on the momentum this year’s team has already built than by bringing him back? MetLife would be bonkers and jersey/ticket sales would go through the roof.
Adding to the intrigue, New York management has been in touch with OBJ’s reps recently.
And the team embraced him before a game against the Jaguars earlier this season.
Dallas Cowboys: Ehhh
Dallas is pushing HARD for the same guy who made one of the best catches ever against them. First off, the famous team owner, Jerry Jones, hasn’t been shy about the prospect of adding OBJ to the roster, damn near salivating over the thought.
“Odell is someone that we have all the appreciation in the world for what he is as a competitor and know that the Cowboys star on that helmet when he puts it on could look pretty good,” Jones told 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday.
Defensive standout Micah Parsons doubled down on that sentiment in a tweet attempting to further entice the wide receiver to don the blue and silver. His argument?
“Defense wins championships!! Don’t forget who ended that super bowl last year!! We head hunters over here!!” Parsons tweeted.
Is it a fit, though? The Cowboys can certainly use his help, but CeeDee Lamb, Noah Brown, Michael Gallup, and tight end Dalton Schultz should be enough. What makes them more desirable than the Bills or Giants? OBJ would have to honestly ask himself if he truly believes Dallas has a better chance at winning the Lombardi over the previous two.
Green Bay Packers: Heck No
If you’re reading this Odell, it’s already too late. Green Bay (3-6) is a dumpster fire, with its playoff hopes diminishing right before our eyes. The team has lost five straight games, most recently a 15-9 loss to the 1-6 Lions.
Aaron Rodgers doesn’t seem locked in whatsoever, telling reporters before the Week 8 Bills game, “We’re going to Buffalo on Sunday Night Football with a chance to get exposed. … Shoot, might be the best thing for us.”
What? Nah, man. If OBJ wants a chance to win, this is the last place he should consider.
Other Potential Destinations
Kansas City Chiefs
In the previously mentioned Twitter thread with Micah Parsons, a user replied to OBJ with a case to be made for him to join Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. To which OBJ replied: “It ain’t out the question.” The appeal is obvious — the top passing offense with the top quarterback in the league on a team. And if winning is the chief concern, that’s certainly the goal in Kansas City.
That said, there are a lot of mouths to feed on this offense. Travis Kelce, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kadarius Toney, Mecole Hardman, Marquez Valdes-Scantling. That doesn’t even list the running backs, who see a decent number of targets out of the backfield. If wanting to be WR1 or even a WR2, Beckham Jr. may have better luck elsewhere, as a new top receiver comes out of Kansas City seemingly every week.
San Francisco 49ers:
The 49ers aren’t in dire need of more offensive help, but Beckham Jr. would seamlessly slide into an offense led by Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey. Oh, and about what Micah Parsons said about defense winning championships? San Francisco allows the fewest yards per game while giving up only 18.4 points per game (No. 6 in the NFL).
“We’re open to discussions with everybody. We look into everything,” head coach Kyle Shanahan told KNBR. “You don’t have to worry about the trade deadline with him because he’s out there and he’s available. I’ve always been a fan of Odell, like I feel like most people are. He’s that good of a player.”
Los Angeles Chargers
These guys are absolutely decimated by injuries. Keenan Allen recently said his hamstring got worse during a bye week and WR2 Mike Williams is out indefinitely with a high ankle sprain. That leaves Joshua Palmer and tight end Gerald Everett as Justin Herbert’s main targets.
Even soo, the Chargers are still only a game back from first place in the division at 5-3. They have all the tools; they just need some insurance to help them weather the storm. OBJ can definitely be that guy.
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